Muscat: India A blanked Oman A but India B went down against formidable France on the opening day of the team competition of the World Cup of snooker here on Thursday.
Three-time IBSF champion Pankaj Advani, appearing for India A, began the demolition job in Group F with a crushing 80-4 win over Omar Sultan.
Although Advani didn’t come up with a big break, his rival just didn’t have the wherewithal to test the Indian ace.
Aditya Mehta, who was part of the team along with Advani when India last won in 2019, took his time to find his rhythm against Ahmed Alkhusaibi. Once he settled down, the Mumbaikar rifled in a frame-clinching break of 53 to put India A 2-0 up.
Brijesh Damani then joined hands with Advani to defeat the pair of Sultan and Alkhusaibi 62-20 and complete the rout.
Earlier, India B, comprising Dhvaj Haria and unheralded Hussian Khan, lost the plot after a bright start to France in Group A.
Southpaw Haria, the National 6-red snooker champion, outclassed Gauvain Bazin 134-0 with a break of 93 in the first frame.
But the formidable Nicolas Mortreux restored parity for France with a 71-10 win over Hussain in the next.
Mortreuz and Bazin pair then won the crucial doubles on the black ball to take a 2-1 lead before Mortreux edged out Haria 79-49 for a 3-1 verdict.
Results: Group A: France bt India B 3-1: (Gauvain Bazin lost to Dhvaj Haria 0-134 (93); Nicolas Mortreux bt Hussain Khan 71-10; Bazin/ Mortreux bt Haria/ Hussian 60-56; Mortreux bt Haria 79-49).
Group F: India A bt Oman A 3-0: (Pankaj Advani bt Omar Sultan 80-4, Aditya Mehta bt Ahmed Alkhusaibi 73 (53) -1, Advani/ Brijesh Damani bt Alkhusaibi/ Sultan 62-20).
