Pankaj Advani qualifies for semis

Furth (Germany): India`s Pankaj Advani advanced to the semi-finals of the qualifiers for the European Tour-1 Paul Hunter Classic snooker tournament after defeating Welshman Ryan Day 4-1.

Earlier Sunday, Advani beat Mark King 4-3 and carried his winning momentum to overcome World No.29 Day to become the only Indian to enter the semi-finals in an international professional snooker tournament. After sharing the opening two frames, Advani pocketed the next three with a break of 47 in the fifth to seal the match and set up a clash with Mark Selby. In a closely fought match, King, ranked No.35, was quick off the blocks to take a 2-0 lead, but Advani stormed back into the match by winning the next two frames, with a break of 60 in the fourth. With the match evenly poised, King took the fifth frame to gain a slight edge, but Advani won the sixth game to make it even. Thriving under pressure, Advani was unstoppable in the seventh frame, opening with a 44-point break and went on to clinch the match 4-3. Advani has been having a dream run in the tournament with victories over former World No.1 John Higgins and the legendary Steve Davis. IANS