Advani Rallies Past Hall to Win 29th Career World Title

Pankaj Advani is a world champion again. The 41-year-old Indian defeated England's Robert Hall 1,906-1,206 in a five-hour timed final at the Landywood Snooker Club in Walsall on Thursday, winning the World Billiards Championship for the first time since 2014 — when he beat the same opponent in the title match.

It is Advani's 29th career world title across cue sports, and his 21st in billiards.

A final flipped in the last two hours

Hall, still chasing a maiden world crown, was in control for much of the afternoon. He led 773-667 at the halfway stage and, with runs of 331 and 87 after the interval, stretched his advantage to more than 300 points. At 1,014-697 with under two hours remaining, the Englishman looked poised to end his wait.

Advani had other plans. A gritty 210 — a break that ended only with a miscue — cut the deficit, and when Hall missed a regulation in-off, the Indian produced the decisive blow: a colossal 587, the highest break of this year's championship. He followed it with runs of 197 and 147 to close out the 700-point victory.

Final (breaks of 50+): Advani 1,906 (587, 210, 197, 149, 147, 99, 91, 91, 55) beat Hall 1,206 (331, 203, 109, 87, 68, 50).

Through a field of champions

The 60-player draw at the Staffordshire venue included six former world champions and all of the world's top 10. Advani topped his group with a clean sweep, then nearly saw his run end in the last 16, where Northern Ireland's Christian Kirk — who made a 200 break — fell just 15 points short in their 150-minute match.

From there Advani was untouchable. He routed compatriot Sourav Kothari 1,134-575 in the quarter-finals, then ended David Causier's title reign 1,607-1,271 in the semis, opening that match with a 285 break. Causier had not lost at the World Billiards Championship since falling to Peter Gilchrist in the 2023 final.

Hall reached the final by beating former champion Gilchrist 1,029-887. The defeat was a measure of revenge for Advani: Hall had eliminated him in the semi-finals of the English Open, held at the same venue the week before.

Shruthi L completes a hat-trick

In the women's championship, played Wednesday as a one-day event, 19-year-old Shruthi L of India beat Sweden's Eva Palmius 414-153 to retain her title for a third consecutive year. Shruthi swept the five-player round robin without a loss and struck breaks of 82, 57 and a 105 in the final.

What it means

Twelve years after his last World Billiards crown, Advani leaves Walsall having beaten the defending champion and the English Open nemesis in back-to-back days. His calendar does not ease: he now turns to the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Indore, India.

Sources: WPBSA, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Khel Khiladis.