Shahbaaz Khan and Kamal Chawla didn't do justice to their talent in the semi-finals of the Rs.3.7 Lakh CCI Platinum Jubilee snooker tournament on Friday.

Merchant outplayed Shahbaaz the double junior national champion 6-2 and defends the title he last won in 2006 after a long wait. Advani had more resistance from Chawla dropping three frames (6-3) and is eyeing an elusive title and the jackpot of Rupees One Lakh. The last time the two giants met was in at the Hyderabad Nationals when Advani beat Yasin 6-3 in the quarter-finals. Advani won the national title at Indore where Merchant failed to make the knockout.

Advani had some slices of luck but made Chawla pay dearly for every miss. After some time this aspect appeared to play on Chawla's mind when it came to shot selection and shot making. As a result he invariably found himself getting bogged down after playing a good shot which drew sighs of applause from the packed Wilson Jones hall. What compounded Chawla's misery was his inability to lay precise snookers. When he did Advani got out them with his wonted touch. Once he even potted the red off two cushions, a shot he later humbly admitted was no one he had attempted. Chawla's last chance was when he led 40-19 in the ninth (3-5) but missed the red when he sat on the table to cue. Again it was the anxiety to get position for the next shot that led to trouble. Advani leveled at 40-all, and got the last red on a platter to sew up the match.

Advani said, "Kamal had his chances, I grabbed all he gave me." Chawla said, "My safety, as usual was below par."

Shahbaaz was clearly overawed by the occasion his play just not tight enough in opening stanza to trouble Merchant.