Pankaj Advani qualifies for Indian Open

New Delhi: Eight-time World Champion Pankaj Advani Monday blanked Briton Matthew Selt 4-0 to qualify for the Indian Open, a premier championship.

Pankaj, India's highest-ranked professional snooker player at 73, was put under pressure in the very first frame as Selt opened with a 53 break at the Doncaster Dome in Sheffield, UK.

Responding well to the deficit, the Indian cleared the table with a fine run of 62. From there on, there was no stopping Pankaj. With fluent breaks of 44, 54 and 65 in each subsequent frame, the Indian completed the whitewash in under two hours with flawless potting.

Pankaj is the first Indian to qualify for the Indian Open, slated for mid-October in New Delhi. All eyes are now on the other Indian Aditya Mehta (ranked 74) to qualify. He is pitted against China's Xiao Guodong.