Yesterday he beat former 11-time Bay open champion Paul Stocker, of Napier, 498-336 points in the final at the National Servicemen's Club.
"He's an old fox. He doesn't give it up that easy," Shekatkar said of Stocker, 78, who organised the weekend's event and whose reign in the tourney dates back to 1989, with his most recent crown in 2015.
But for the winner, who arrived in Rotorua in 2006, the quarterfinals were the turning point. Shekatkar took an hour to beat former New Zealand Open champion Grant Hayward, of Auckland, 327-237 before overwhelming Darren Taylor, of Hamilton, 467-312 in the semifinals.
"Grant is a beautiful player, if you watch his game. I can't stop wondering if I can play like him," said the 52-year-old production planner who believes practice makes perfect.
Shekatkar said precision was essential but so was some forethought on what sort of leeway one was going to create for an opponent on missing.
"Without 100 per cent concentration, you just cannot win this game," said the bloke who clinched the Auckland Open in March and the North Island Championship in Otaki last month.
His focus now is on the New Zealand Open Championship in Christchurch but Garry Oliver will be defending that crown on his home felt. He also won the Bay title last year but was unable to defend it.
"It's going to be difficult for me but let's see how it goes," said Shekatkar.
Stocker said he didn't play as well in the final but had ground his teeth in enough tourneys to be able to reconcile his emotions.
"Winning is nice but it doesn't always happen for you," he said, not expecting to be among the last eight as an organiser but relishing the competition.
"Adesh is a really fine player and has a great future," he said, adding Oliver is the country's top seed but Shekatkar was "a natural who doesn't have to think too long before playing his shots".
"If he can concentrate for longer periods, I think he'll definitely be a danger for those top players."
Stocker said a bigger field would have been nice but the field of 14 included quality players such as New Zealand No 2 Wayne Carey, of Auckland, who lost to No 3 Zac Guja, of Wellington, yesterday, and No 4 Shekatkar.
He beat Guja 361-253 in the quarters and Ross Delahunty, of Wellington, 340-146 in the semifinals. Shekatkar and Stocker had the highest breaks of 80.