June 28: For almost a decade now, Pankaj Advani has made winning a habit. After conquering the World, Asian and the Indian billiards crown, the 22-year-old Bengaluru boy reigned supreme Down Under.

On Saturday, Advani beat compatriot Dhruv Siwala 6-1 to clinch the Australian Open title on debut.

Advani, who had to work his way into the final with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Matthew Bolton on Friday, had little trouble getting past good friend Sitwala. Advani’s title winning performance included two century breaks and another break of 97.

Speaking from Australia, an elated Advani said, "It was a good championship. The conditions were very player friendly. Winning on debut is definitely special. There were quite a few good players. They had an edge over the Indians because they have played the time format tournament, which we could not participate in."

Talking about his semifinal win, the ONGC employee said, "The semifinals was a good match. Matthew Bolton was playing exceptionally well. I had to bring out the best in me to beat him."

Having defeated Sitwala in the World Championship final last year, Advani held a psychological advantage over his opponent.

"Yes, having beaten Dhruv before did help a little psychologically, but that played a very small part. At the end of the day, what matters is how well you play on that particular day."

On his game plan for the final, the Khel Ratna awardee said, "After winning the close semifinals, I knew I had to give myself a good start and win the first few frames. I stuck to this game plan and it worked."

This victory will be a huge morale booster for Advani, who will head to play the World Professional billiards Championship next month.