Dhruv Sitwala Defeats Pankaj Advani in Asian Billiards Championship Final

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on July 7, 2024, Indian cueist Pankaj Advani was defeated by his fellow Indian competitor, Dhruv Sitwala, in the final of the Asian Billiards Championship. The final score was 2-5 in favor of Dhruv.

Match Highlights

Dhruv started the match impressively, scoring 103 points while Pankaj struggled with 0 points. Pankaj improved his game, scoring 36 points, but Dhruv continued his dominance with another 100 points. Pankaj then found his rhythm, scoring a remarkable 101 points, while Dhruv had an off-frame with only 2 points. Pankaj continued his momentum with 100 points, but Dhruv scored 11 points. Dhruv’s consistency shone through as he scored another 100 points, while Pankaj ended the frame with 64 points. In the final two frames, Dhruv scored 101 and a perfect 100 points, while Pankaj managed 23 and 0 points.

Post-Match Reactions

After the match, Pankaj said, “It was a thrilling match against a good friend of mine. Dhruv played the game well and didn’t give any gap to recover. However, it was good to be here in Saudi for the first time and I hope to come back again soon and hopefully lift the title.”

He added, “I have always said that I understand the unpredictable nature of the sport and the competition was packed with some very formidable opponents. It was a fiercely contested championship and I am glad that I was in the final with a highly-competitive opponent, where I fell short. Nevertheless, I am taking all the learnings as a lesson for my future tournaments.”