Asian Snooker Championship: Pakistanis wiped out after Asif crashes out

Cueist blows multiple leads in quarter-final loss

KARACHI: Pakistan’s dismal ACBS Asian Snooker Championship campaign came to an end yesterday as Mohammad Asif, their sole surviving representative, also lost his quarter-final against Thailand’s Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn 5-4 in Doha, Qatar.

Out of the four Pakistani cueists, only Asif had managed to reach the last-eight stage as Mohammad Sajjad and Sohail Shahzad both crashed out in the round of 32, while Mohammad Bilal followed them out a round later.



With all national hopes lying on Asif’s shoulders, he won the opening frame as well as the third to lead twice in the early stages of his clash with Lertsattayathorn.

But Asif’s 2-1 lead soon turned into a 3-2 deficit as his Thai opponent won the next two frames. The Pakistani responded in similar fashion, winning back to back frames to put his nose in front.

At 4-3, the former IBSF World Champion had one leg in the semi-final before Lertsattayathorn turned the tables by dominating the next two frames and winning 46-69, 103-0(86), 46-76(70), 66-40, 116-0(116), 38-72, 12-82, 80-01 and 81-0(81).

Asian Snooker Championship: Asif only Pakistani left in competition

Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) President Alamgir Sheikh was unhappy with the national cueists’ below par performance in the event, but he did reserve some praise for Asif.

“It’s disappointing that none of our four players even made the semi-finals, but I must say Asif played really well, although he ran out of luck towards the end against Lertsattayathorn,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “The biggest disappointment was Sajjad because he didn’t play like he can.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd,  2016.

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