Snooker: Asif crashes out of Asian Championship

Tournament favourite suffers shock pre-quarters defeat against Honk Kong’s Lee.

KARACHI:

IBSF world amateur champion Mohammad Asif crashed out of the Jubilee Insurance 29th Asian Snooker Championship, losing to Hong Kong’s Lee Chun Wai 4-3 in the pre-quarterfinal match at the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi yesterday.

Asif started the match with confidence as he took the opening three frames 79-26, 71-9, 71-21. However, he lost his focus in the fourth frame, going down 64-9, and Lee replied to the top-seed in style in the following two frames with  103-18, earning with a break of 67 and 71-66 before sealing the victory in the seventh frame  with 60-22.

Although Asif was touted as the best player in the tournament, he said that most of the matches depended on luck.

“It wasn’t my day, there isn’t any other way to explain why I lost,” Asif told The Express Tribune. “I won the first three frames very comfortably but then I guess I was a little too predictable for Lee. He picked up on a couple of opportunities that I missed in the fourth and fifth frame.

“I wouldn’t say that I played badly though. It’s all a matter of luck. I just couldn’t execute the moves that I had in my head. At the end I’m a little disappointed with myself, but I’ll improve with time.”

Asif insisted that he was satisfied with his performance in the tournament. He added that he will need some time to get back into form after the championship and he is hoping to participate in an event in Qatar this month.

Meanwhile, he said he expected Mohammad Sajjad to at least reach the finals of the championship.

“I think Sajjad will take Pakistan ahead in the championship because he has the experience and I really like his game. My bets are on him to win the championship.”

Only two Pakistanis will now compete in the quarter-finals, as Sajjad defeated Syria’s Karam Fatima 4-2, and Abu Saim outplayed Thailand’s Boonyarit Kaettikun 4-1.

Sajjad dejected over Asif’s exit

Sajjad was left disappointed with Asif’s shock exit from the tournament.

“It’s disappointing to see Asif lose in the pre-quarterfinal. It has weakened Pakistan’s position in the tournament,” said the former Asian number two. “For now, I feel I can set my sight on the next round because I’m the only experienced player left in the draw. Abu Saim is also playing well, but his next match with China’s Zhao Xin Tong will be very tough.”

Meanwhile, predicting his own match for today against Iran’s Aaamir Sarkosh, who defeated Thai cueist Ratchayothin Yotharuck 4-3 yesterday, Sajjad said that luck will be a big factor for him as well.

In other matches, Afghanistan’s Saleh Mohammed defeated Hong Kong’s Fung Kwok Wai 4-0, Syria’s Omer Al Kojah overcame Singapore’s Lim Chun Kiat 4-2 and Tong defeated Afghanistan’s Muhammad Rais Senzai 4-0 whereas, Pakistan national champion Humza Akbar also failed to defeat Iran’s Mohammad Labibi 4-2.

M Asif



“I think Sajjad will take Pakistan ahead in the championship because he has the experience required for such a big event and I really like his game. My bets are on him to win the championship.” 

M Sajjad



“It’s disappointing to see Asif lose in the pre-quarterfinal. It has weakened Pakistan’s position in the tournament. I’m the only experienced player left in the draw now and I have my sight set on the next round.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2013.