---
title: "Pankaj Advani Wins 29th World Title at World Billiards Championship"
url: https://sports23.net/pankaj-advani-wins-29th-world-title-at-world-billiards-championship
published: 2026-10-26T01:46:24Z
updated: 2026-10-26T01:46:24Z
summary: "Pankaj Advani overturned a 300-point deficit with a championship-high 587 break to beat Robert Hall 1,906-1,206 and claim a 29th world title in Walsall."
author: "Sports23 Editorial"
categories: ["Billiards"]
tags: ["Billiards", "English billiards", "India", "Pankaj Advani", "World Billiards Championship"]
lang: en
---

# Pankaj Advani Wins 29th World Title at World Billiards Championship

*A record-extending 29th world crown for the 41-year-old Indian, sealed by the highest break of the week after Robert Hall led by more than 300 points.*

Pankaj Advani produced one of the great comebacks in cue sports on Thursday, overturning a deficit of more than 300 points to beat England's Robert Hall 1,906-1,206 in the World Billiards Championship final at the Landywood Snooker Club in Walsall.

The 41-year-old Indian collected a record-extending 29th world title across billiards and snooker, and his first in the sport's oldest championship since 2014 — when, fittingly, he also beat Hall in the final.

For readers more used to pool and snooker, English billiards is a different kind of marathon: instead of frames or racks, players accumulate points across hours of timed play. Thursday's title match ran five hours.

## The break that turned the final

Hall, appearing in his sixth world final and still chasing a maiden crown, looked to be cruising. He led 773-667 at the halfway stage and stretched his advantage to 1,014-697 with 115 minutes left on the clock.

Then Advani found another gear. A fluent 210 cut the gap, and when a Hall miss brought him straight back to the table, the Indian compiled a monumental 587 — the highest break of the entire championship — to seize control and never let go.

"The second session of the final was billiards from the gods," a gracious Hall said at the prize ceremony.

"It's an incredible feeling to win the oldest world championship trophy in the history of global sport," Advani told the Times of India, referring to the John Roberts Trophy. "Despite this being my 29th world title, I was hungrier than ever because I hadn't won a world billiards title in two years."

## A champion's path through a stacked field

The 60-player field at Landywood — hosting the event for a fourth consecutive year across October 19-22 — included all of the world's top 10 and six former world champions.

Advani's route was anything but routine. In the last 16 he survived Northern Ireland's Christian Kirk by just 15 points in a 150-minute match, despite Kirk making a break of 200. A comfortable 1,134-575 win over compatriot Sourav Kothari then set up a semifinal against defending champion David Causier, unbeaten at this championship since losing the 2023 final.

Advani's early break of 285 proved pivotal in a 1,607-1,271 win that ended Causier's reign.

## A Southeast Asian footnote

The other semifinal carried regional interest: Singapore's Peter Gilchrist — the man who beat Causier for the 2023 crown — fell 1,029-887 to Hall.

There was more Indian success in the women's event, where 19-year-old Shruthi L defeated Sweden's Eva Palmius 414-153 to win a third consecutive Women's World Billiards Championship.

![Pankaj Advani at the table during the Paul Hunter Classic in 2012](media:26feba907ec19b0e)