Bengaluru: China's 14-year-old Yan Bingtao on Friday scripted a sensational upset as he sent 12-time world title holder Pankaj Advani packing with a 6-4 victory in the quarter-finals of the Seaways IBSF World Snooker Championship.
On the day at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Advani, who has had a good run in the tournament till date, could not concentrate on his game and did not play big points as the Chinese schoolboy.
Pankaj started his quarterfinal tie in a disappointing way, losing the first frame 38-63 and the next 47-75. Pankaj had 44 break points but Bingtao's 57 helped the Chinese to clinch the second frame.
There was something to cheer for the Indian fans when Pankaj convincgly pocketed next three frames 107-0, 68-10 and 60-16, thus taking 3-2 lead. Just when the star Indian cueist needed another frame in the grabs to get a firm hold, he lost the plot and conceded the sixth frame quite easily to Bingtao 4-83 as the Chinese exhibited incredible temperament on the green baize to level the proceedings at 3-3 each.
Advani then prevailed over the Chinese in the seventh frame by beating him with 89-24 margin with 79 break points, taking a crucial 4-3 lead.
The Indian however could not capitalise on the lead and lost next three frames 40-67, 26-71 and 40-59, thus conceding the rubber to Bingtao.
"There was too much of disturbance and I was not able to concentrate. I also did not play well. Bingtao too did not play any great snooker but I am not taking anything from him. It is just that he played the big points well while I did not. That made the difference," Advani told reporters after his defeat.
Bingtao, however, refused to speak the media as he preferred concentrating on his semi-final match. Bingtao will play Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn in the semi-finals.
Another Chinese made his presence felt with impressive showing on the green baize. The 2013 runner-up Zhao Xintong defeated Ausralia's Ridley 6-4. Pakistan's Muhammad Sajjad ended the Indian challenge when he got past Manan Chandra, while Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn (Thailand) beat Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) 6-4 to complete the semi-final line-up. Muhammad Sajjad will play Xintong in semi-finals.
The Indian challenge ended in the women's event too, when Chitra Magimairaj lost to title-holder Wendy Jans of Belgium.
