Having lost two matches in Group B previously, Merchant secured a crucial 4-0 win against Himanshu Jain to bag a spot in last eight.
Snooker and billiards professional Advani won his fourth straight round over Shahbaaz Khan to secure a quarterfinal berth.
Siddharth Parekh of Railways also came from behind to keep his hopes alive in Group C with a crucial win 4-1 over ONGC's Sourav Kothari.
Parekh's brilliant comeback sent Kothari crashing out of the competition and he will now battle world No. 26 Nigel Bond of Britain for the second spot in the group.
World No. 21 Stephen Lee of Britain and India's Kamal Chawla made it to the knock-out stage from Group A.
You’ve hit your limit of 5 free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%