Sajjad began the match with confidence and led 3-1 as he took the fourth frame 107-17. Doherty fought back, winning the following set, but Sajjad continued his dominance as he won the following game 65-13 to move up to 4-2, pushing the Irish champion to the brink of elimination.
Doherty then recovered and went on to seal victory by taking the next three frames including a break of 83 in the deciding ninth frame.
“I started out well, but I think Ken’s experience did the damage,” Sajjd told The Express Tribune. “The last three sets killed me in the game. I just didn’t get a chance to hit back. Ken was too good for me.
“I still think I caught Ken by surprise. He had a smile on his face after the match. And he gave me a pat on my back. I don’t think I lose in these tournaments because I end up learning,” said Sajjad, who feels that he has improved considerably in last two months by participating in international events.
Two other local wild card entrants also met an end in the tournament. Tian Pengfei lost to Jamie Burnett 5-2 and Andrew Hingginson defeated Rouzi Maimaiti 5-2.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2010.
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