New Delhi: Pankaj Advani won a thrilling encounter against compatriot Dhruv Sitwala to clinch the IBSF World Billiards title in time format for second year on the trot in Singapore Friday.

According to information received here, Advani claimed 1963-1489 win to lift the Arthur Walker Trophy after a six-hour battle at the Orchid Country Club.

Advani, who was defending both the points (150-up) and time format (2 hour) titles, had lost in the round of 16 in the points format last week.

“It was the first time that I successfully defended a world title. It’s never easy maintaining your position at the top. And I had to come back after doing badly in the points format. After four and a half hours when we were level… The match could have gone any way,” Advani said after their match.

As the title in the points format was won by another Indian Rupesh Shah, Advani was happy that Indians ruled the roost at the highest level.

Advani said his match against Peter Gilchrist of Singapore was his best game in the event as he made a 355 break to end his resistance. Gilchrist had downed Rupesh Shah 1148-819 in the quarter finals.

Sitwala, who defeated former champion Geet Sethi 1053-932 to enter the final, said it was tough to accept defeat after coming so close .

“It was tough to lose after beating Sethi and (Ashok) Shandilya. The breaks Pankaj made towards the end finished me,” said Sitwala.

(PTI)