Sitwala, Haria enter CCI Billiards quarter-finals

National champions Dhruv Sitwala and Dhvaj Haria secured commanding victories, propelling themselves into the quarter-finals of the All India CCI Billiards Classic held on Saturday.

Sitwala, known for his finesse as India's top-ranked left-handed player, dominated seasoned professional Arun Agrawal with a resounding score of 979-399. His stellar performance included a notable break of 296, along with smaller runs of 60, 62, 76, 71, and 94. Meanwhile, Haria, hailing from Gujarat, exhibited his prowess by defeating last year's runner-up, Rob Hall of England, with a scoreline of 1055-425. Haria's highlight was a high break of 399, complemented by two century efforts of 159 and 131, along with breaks of 85, 55, and 53.

Reigning champion Pankaj Advani, the strong favorite, continued his dominance by outclassing Aditya Agrawal with a commanding score of 1236-428. Advani's performance was marked by a neat break of 258 followed by a solid 365, accompanied by two additional centuries of 111 and 197, and breaks of 72, 66, and 77.

In another riveting match between former national champions Sourav Kothari and S. Shrikrishna, the latter staged a remarkable comeback, clinching victory with an unfinished break of 78 points, securing a spot in the quarter-finals.

Notably, England's ace billiards player David Causier displayed exceptional precision and consistency as he dismantled India's Kamal Chawla with a dominating score of 1422-306. Causier's rapid-paced game showcased massive breaks of 249, 220, 354, 124, 99, 94, 62, and 74, leaving little room for Chawla to maneuver.

Adding to the excitement, Mumbai youngster Raayan Razmi exhibited resilience to stun former champion Siddharth Parikh with a close margin of 606-519.

The All India CCI Billiards Classic continues to witness intense competition as players vie for the coveted title, promising more thrilling encounters in the upcoming matches.

Results of Pre-quarter-finals:

David Causier (Eng) beat Kamal Chawla (Ind) 1422-306
S. Shrikrishna (Ind) beat Sourav Kothari (Ind) 492-473
Raayan Razmi (Ind) beat Siddharth Parikh (Ind) 606-519
Dhvaj Haria (Ind) beat Rob Hall (Eng) 1055-425
Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) beat Arun Agrawal (Ind) 979-399
Peter Gilchrist (Sin) beat Rohan Jambusaria (Ind) 900-493
Peter Sheehan (Eng) beat Rupesh Shah (Ind) 738-583
Pankaj Advani (Ind) beat Aditya Agrawal (Ind) 1236-428