IBSF World Snooker Championship: Asif, Bilal sail into round of 32

Defeat Thomerson, Todd respectively to secure progression

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Bilal cruised into the 2016 IBSF World Snooker Championship’s round of 32 with impressive wins in Doha yesterday.

Asif, the 2012 world champion, brought down Australia’s Ryan Thomerson 4-2 in his round of 64 match despite enduring a rough start.

With a break of 140, Thomerson took the first frame, leaving no room for Asif to reply.

But the Faisalabad-based cueist bounced back in the second frame, winning 65-53 before clinching the third frame 65-52 to go 2-1 up.

It was now Thomerson’s turn to reply as he won the fourth frame 54-45 to level the match 2-2.

But Asif was unstoppable in the last two frames; the first of which he won 120-22 with a break of 102 before sealing the match with a 99-7 sixth frame.

Elsewhere, Pakistan’s top ranked player Bilal outclassed New Zealand’s Jason Todd 4-0 to reach the round of 32.

Bilal dominated from the onset, winning the opening frame 85-21 and the next three 81-17, 47-36 and 94-19 respectively to book his place in the next round.

With four wins in as many games, Bilal topped Group L, whereas Asif finished second in Group P.

Meanwhile in the Masters’ category, Imran Shehzad defeated Issa Alrasi 3-1, Naveen Perwani defeated Iceland’s Palmi Einarsson 3-1 and Muhammad Azhar Khan downed Germany’s Cesal Thomas 3-0 to make it to the knockout stage.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2016.

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