Asif through to last-16 in snooker event
National champion bounces back after losing opening two matches.
KARACHI:
National champion Mohammad Asif sent out a reminder that he is still a force to reckon with, making it to the prequarter-finals of the 4th NBP Ranking Snooker Championship despite going down in his opening two matches.
Asif was joined by former Asia number two Mohammad Sajjad and fourth-seed Naveen Perwani in the last-16 after they won their last group matches yesterday. Asif got the better of Asjad Iqbal 4-3, while Sajjad outplayed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Shah Khan by the same scoreline.
Perwani stuns Imran
Meanwhile, Perwani progressed after getting the better of Imran Shahzad, giving him very little chance in the five-frame battle that he won 4-1.
In other results, Khurram Agha also made it to the last-16 despite losing his final group match to Sharjeel Mehmood 4-3. Mohammad Imran progressed as well after he downed former national champion Sohail Shahzad 4-2. After a see-saw battle where the score was tied 2-2, Imran won the next two frames 65-8 and 94-0, including a break of 67, to book his place in the next round.
Seventh-seed Vishan Gir also defeated Mohammad Afzal 4-2. Gir secured the first two frames 67-2 and 73-46 but lost focus and went down in the next two. Gir, however, won the following 54-50 and sealed the result in his favour in the following frame 51-39.
The pre-quarterfinals will begin today, in which Asif will take on Abdul Sattar, while Sajjad will play Shehram Changezi. Agha will compete with Mohammad Nazir while Sultan Mohammad will face Perwani. In the next session, Mohammad Majid will go against Gir and Imran will play Shahid Aftab, while Yousuf will take on Mohammad Jawaid and Iqbal will face Farrukh Usman.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2012.
National champion Mohammad Asif sent out a reminder that he is still a force to reckon with, making it to the prequarter-finals of the 4th NBP Ranking Snooker Championship despite going down in his opening two matches.
Asif was joined by former Asia number two Mohammad Sajjad and fourth-seed Naveen Perwani in the last-16 after they won their last group matches yesterday. Asif got the better of Asjad Iqbal 4-3, while Sajjad outplayed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Shah Khan by the same scoreline.
Perwani stuns Imran
Meanwhile, Perwani progressed after getting the better of Imran Shahzad, giving him very little chance in the five-frame battle that he won 4-1.
In other results, Khurram Agha also made it to the last-16 despite losing his final group match to Sharjeel Mehmood 4-3. Mohammad Imran progressed as well after he downed former national champion Sohail Shahzad 4-2. After a see-saw battle where the score was tied 2-2, Imran won the next two frames 65-8 and 94-0, including a break of 67, to book his place in the next round.
Seventh-seed Vishan Gir also defeated Mohammad Afzal 4-2. Gir secured the first two frames 67-2 and 73-46 but lost focus and went down in the next two. Gir, however, won the following 54-50 and sealed the result in his favour in the following frame 51-39.
The pre-quarterfinals will begin today, in which Asif will take on Abdul Sattar, while Sajjad will play Shehram Changezi. Agha will compete with Mohammad Nazir while Sultan Mohammad will face Perwani. In the next session, Mohammad Majid will go against Gir and Imran will play Shahid Aftab, while Yousuf will take on Mohammad Jawaid and Iqbal will face Farrukh Usman.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2012.