Guangdong, June 20:
India were left heartbroken as hosts China ‘A’ edged them 3-2 in a tense final rubber to clinch the World Team Snooker Championship gold medal here on Friday.
With the tie locked at 2-2, India’s Aditya Mehta faltered in the decisive frame against Li Chengjie, failing to capitalise on crucial chances in an error-ridden contest.
The humid conditions and excessive throw off the cushions added to the challenge, with both players struggling, but Mehta ultimately came up short in the title decider.
Indian ace Pankaj Advani gave his side the perfect start, winning a hard-fought battle of attrition against Chengjie. With both players struggling to adjust to the challenging conditions, safety exchanges dominated the frame.
Advani, renowned as much for his tactical acumen as his break-building ability, held his nerve to come out on top. A huge slice of luck, however, helped him seal the frame with a decisive break of 36.
Attempting to escape a snooker behind the green near the bottom cushion, Advani pushed a red into the top right-hand pocket off the side cushion, turning the tide in India’s favour.
Mehta, who endured an off day, then lost 34-66 to Xu Jiarui. The Indian duo of Advani and Mehta later went down to Jiarui and Pan Yiming in the doubles, with the Chinese pair compiling breaks of 32 and 33 to take a 2-1 lead.
Advani once again pulled India back into the contest with his percentage snooker, piecing together small breaks and reverting to safety whenever he lost position. The 11-time national champion produced breaks of 36, 16 and 17 in his commanding 82-4 victory over Jiarui.
But in the decisive frame, Mehta failed to find his rhythm and could not carry India over the finish line.