Maharashtra’s Yasin Merchant has stormed into the final of the Madras Gymkhana All India Snooker championship after defeating the top seeded Manan Chandra of Petroleum Sports Control Board on Friday.

Merchant, who had won Asian Championship twice in 1989 and 2001, outplayed the Indian no. 1 Manan by 5-1 in the semifinal match.

In the final of the tournament, Merchant will lock horns with Aditya Mehta of PSPB who has defeated the second seeded Sourav Kothari by 5-2.