Published: August 14, 2026 at 7:52 pm
National champion Laxman Rawat stunned world No. 7 Jason Theron of South Africa in the final men’s losers’ bracket match to advance to the knockout pre-quarters of the $400,000 Apex Sports 3rd Heyball World Championships Rajan Khinvasara Billiards and Snooker Academy, housed in the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre in Pune on Friday.
The 34-year-old jumped to a quick 3-0 lead against his rival with a gritty display. After suffering some mid-match blues, Rawat, who allowed his rival to go ahead at one stage, levelled at 5-5 before clinching the next two racks in fine fashion.
Varshaa Sanjeev was the only other Indian to make the second stage of the richest cue sports tournament in the country. The Bengalurean, returning to the circuit after a three-year hiatus, scored a comfortable 5-2 win over Mongolia’s Ganbat Gan-Orkhon, 5-2 in the women’s section.
The rest of the Indians in the fray failed to get past the first stage. However, Shruthi L had world No. 5 Narantuya Bayarsaikhan of Mongolia at her merch at 5-3 but went down 5-6 in a thriller in the final qualifying match.
Varshaa Sanjeev was the only other Indian to make the second stage of the richest cue sports tournament in the country
Last year’s bronze medallist Amee Kamani and Keerthana Pandian in the women’s section, alongside Paras Gupta and Pushpender Singh in the men’s section, also managed to reach the final round of the losers’ bracket.
Whelan survives scare
Earlier, second-seeded Jack Whelan of Britain overcame a tough challenge from Julian Serradilla of Switzerland on Friday, advancing to the knockout pre-quarterfinals.
In a match of small margins, Whelan, the pre-match favourite, played the big points well to score a hard-fought 6-5 victory in the men’s section at the Rajan Khinvasara Billiards and Snooker Academy, housed in the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre in Pune.
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Coming off a splendid triumph at the Champion of Champions last month in Malaysia, Whelan lacked his usual fluidity on the day. The error-prone Englishman gave plenty of chances to his rival, who made the most of it to have the favourite in trouble.
It was neck and neck in the race-to-7 third-round match. Serradilla, who had defeated his rival in a thriller in China a couple of months ago, levelled the score 3-3 with a lucky black pot off the side cushion.
After the early skirmishes, Whelan found a semblance of his touch by taking the scrappy seventh rack and then cleared the table following his rival’s poor safety for a 5-3 lead. However, his opponent made a brilliant break and run to reduce the margin.
Whelan responded in the same manner in the next rack, only for Serradilla to fight back in the 11th to make a match of it. But with the clock ticking, the Swiss rival succumbed to time pressure, missing the last ball to the top left-hand pocket before walking across to congratulate Whelan.
There were no such hiccups for the fancied women players. Reigning champion Kelly Fisher outplayed Amy Elizabeth Beauchamp 6-2 to make the last-16 round. Second-seeded Wendy Jans scored a similar victory over Australia’s Jessica Woods.
Select results (Indians unless mentioned): Men: Round 3: Tobias Bongers (Ger) beat Mohammad Ali Pordel (Irn) 5-4; Joao Grilo (Por) beat Miquel Silva (Por) 6-6 (shootout); Jack Whelan (GBR) beat Julian Serradilla (Sui) 6-5; Jordan Shepherd (GBR) beat Mohd Reza Bin Hassan (Mas) 6-5; Yip Kin Ling (Tpe) beat Jason Theron (RSA) 7-6.
Losers’ bracket (round 4): Laxman Rawat beat Theron 7-5; Pordel beat Paras Gupta 7-1; Mohammed Nooh (Egy) beat Pushpender Singh 7-2.
Round 2: Lee Stephens (GBR) beat Pankaj Advani 6-5; Gareth Potts (GBR) beat Kamal Chawla 7-3; Nkandu beat Sean Davis 7-3; Ivan Rudenko (Ukr) beat Brijesh Damani 5-5 (shootout); O’Donoghue (Ire) beat Shivam Arora (7-3); Richard Mushobe (Zim) beat Himanshu Jain 6-4; Temuujin Enkhbold (Mgl) beat Divya Sharma 7-3,
Women (round 3): Kelly Fisher (GBR) beat Amy Elizabeth Beauchamp (GBR) 6-2; Elzette Koen (RSA) 5-1; Wendy Jans (Bel) beat Jessica Woods (Aus) 6-2; Waratthanun Sukritthanes (Thai) beat Mary Talbot (GBR) 6-0; Sara Rocha (Por) beat Naratuya Bayarsaikhan (Mgl) 6-2.
Losers’ bracket (round 4): Varshaa Sanjeev beat Ganbat Gan-Orkhon (Mgl) 5-2; Daria Siranchuk (Ukr) beat Keerthana Pandian 5-4; Narantuya Bayarsaikhon (Mgl) beat Shruthi L 6-5; Mary Talbot (GBR) beat Amee Kamani 6-4.
Round 3: Diana Khodjaeva (Bel) beat Neena Praveen 6-0; Illse Rossouw Nicola (RSA) beat Vidya Pillai 4-3.
Round 2: Pennipa beat Gianna Rego 6-0; Keerthana beat Anupama Ramachandan 5-4.
