Chandigarh cueist Nitin Sharma scripted a comeback for the ages on Monday after being down, and almost out, in the Manisha Constructions National Pool Championship semi-final to set up a 9-ball final clash with Pankaj Advani from the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB).Facing S Shrikrishna (PSPB), Sharma was trailing 1-6 at one point in the game. However, he clawed his way back with a display of extraordinary resilience and composure, eventually coming out on top with a scoreline of 11-10. The match was a testament to his mental strength, tactical acumen and fighting spirit.The high-stakes game kept the audience on the edge of their seats.Contrastingly, Advani delivered a clinical masterclass in the other semifinal to defeat Kushal Chandrashekhar (Karnataka) 11-5. Advani controlled proceedings from the outset, maintaining a steady lead and dictating the pace of the match. He left little chance for his opponent to even think of mounting a comeback.The schedule for the final is yet to be announced.Among other games, the junior boys’ 9-ball double elimination stage offered a compelling blend of fiercely contested matches and dominant victories, underlining the depth and competitive spirit among the next generation of cueists.Many of the matches were decided in a dramatic fashion with players displaying remarkable composure in pressure situations.Shiny Verma (Punjab) edged past Mayanak Karthik (Karnataka) 5-4 in a nail-biter and Swarit Sharma (Delhi) held his nerve to defeat HS Tiwana (Punjab) with the same margin.Aaron Goyal (Punjab) also logged a close 5-4 win against Divjot Singh (Delhi). Manan Grover (Punjab) added to the string of tight finishes with another narrow win. Saksham Jain (Delhi) and Krishraj Sethi (Uttar Pradesh) advanced after hard-fought encounters as well.In contrast, several players stamped their authority with emphatic wins.Laksh Sharma (Karnataka) cruised to a flawless 5-0 win. Rehan Mishra (Delhi) and Abdul Saif (Tamil Nadu) also whitewashed their opponents.Yuvraj Singh (Madhya Pradesh) and Laxminarayan (Tamil Nadu) put up a display of dominance with clean sweeps.In the under-21 girls’ category, the cueists produced standout performances amid intense battles to seal coveted semi-final spots.Jia Sehgal (Punjab) was among the performers of the day. She began with a commanding 4-0 victory over Aleina Khanna, followed by a 4-1 win against Simran. Her most notable performance came in a thrilling quarter-final clash, where she overcame former junior world snooker champion Natasha Chethan 4-3 in a tense clash.Sanvi Shah (MP) secured her place in the semi-finals with a series of controlled and confident performances. She registered a 4-2 win over Giana Rego (Maharashtra), followed by a 4-2 victory against L Shruti (TN), demonstrating consistency and strategic maturity.Men’s 10-ball championship sees dominant winsWith the men’s 10-ball tournament also underway, the double elimination stage saw a series of commanding performances that set the tone for the competition ahead.Players, including Daksh Reddy (Karnataka), Joy Mehra (Punjab), Dhruv Varma (Punjab), Adarsh Verma (West Bengal), Saqlain Mushtaque (WB), Sameer Bhalla (Chandigarh) and Namit Sharma (Delhi), made early statements with dominant 6-0 victories.