Yesterday it was Luca Brecel……today I am focusing on the man who only weeks ago lit up the Welsh Open with a stunning run which earned him huge praise.

Pankaj Advani hit the headlines in February by reaching the quarter-finals of the major event after knocking out two former world champions Shaun Murphy and Graeme Dott. And in doing so, he became the first Indian player in snooker’s history to reach the last eight of a ranking tournament.

In his debut season on the main tour, Advani impressed early on by qualifying for the International Championship before opting out of the tournament so he could play in the World’s Billiards Championship – a tournament he managed to win for an eighth time.

But Advani has won the lot when it comes to billiards, now it is time to develop his snooker career and start ticking some boxes.

A neat and tidy player to watch, this has been a fantastic year for Advani and what better way to finish a fine season by qualifying for the Crucible – the biggest stage for any snooker player.

And you could argue his draw for the forthcoming qualifiers is not the worst to have been dished out for this year’s World Championship showdown.

Standing in his way of reaching his first World Championship will be a first round tie with a pre-qualifier before potential clashes against Adam Duffy, Mark Joyce and Michael Holt.

He’s already impressed in Newport this year but what does Sheffield have to offer for this promising star? Reaching the Crucible for the first time would be a huge moment for the Pune born potter. Certainly a player to keep an eye on over the coming days.