Snooker: Top-seed Asif stunned in ranking event

Pakistan number one suffers 4-2 loss in snooker championship.

KARACHI: Mohammad Asif Toba shocked top-seed Mohammad Asif 4-2 on the second day of the 4th NBP Ranking Snooker Championship at the DHA Creek Club.

Toba, who was trailing 2-1, staged a remarkable comeback to beat his opponent, eventually winning with frame scores of 1-77, 57-43, 37-62, 39-24, 66-31, 82-35.

Asif, the country’s number one cueist, said that illness led to his defeat.

“I’m suffering from flu and headache and that troubled me during the match,” Asif told The Express Tribune. “I couldn’t see properly either but I took part after taking medicine.”

Meanwhile, second-seed Sultan Mohammad continued his winning run, brushing aside Ali Raza 4-1 and registering the tournament’s highest break of 129 in the process. He won with frame scores of 36-61, 93-15, 70-1, 129-0, 73-48. The result was a welcome relief for Sultan, who failed to advance from the preliminary stage of the Asian Championship.

“I have set a target for myself to register big breaks so that it helps me in mega events,” he said. “It also feels great to hit the 129 but my eyes are on winning the title.”

In other matches, former Asia number two Mohammad Sajjad defeated Sindh’s Mohammad Akmal 4-2, while Naveen Perwani beat Mohammad Ishtiaq, who stunned Imran Shehzad on the opening day, 4-1. Fast-rising Abdul Sattar whipped Mohammad Bilal 4-0 and Sohail Shehzad prevailed 4-3 against Javed Ansari. Former world amateur champion Mohammad Yousuf beat Bilawal Agha 4-2 and Sindh’s Farrukh Usman Brohi came out on top against eighth-seed Sharjeel Mehmood 4-2 as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2012.