IBSF World Championship: Pakistan trio advance to last 64

Sajjad, Toba top respective groups as Hamza finishes second

KARACHI: Pakistani trio of Muhammad Sajjad, Muhammad Asif Toba and young cueist Hamza Akbar on Tuesday finished the 2014 IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship league matches on a high note in Bangalore, India.

Sajjad concluded his matches in Group P on the top position, winning all of his five matches as one of the players from his group pulled out of the tournament.

The former Asian number two continued with his impeccable record at the tournament, winning 20 frames and dropping just one.

Meanwhile, Toba outclassed India’s Sahil Nayyar 4-0 to wrap up the pool stage at the top of Group R.

He took the first frame 59-56, facing tough competition from the local cueist, but continued to dominate in the second frame 73, 41, and took a 3-0 lead in the third frame 70-14 with a break of 64 and sealed the win 62-17 in the fourth frame of the match.

Similarly, Hamza defeated Brasil’s Vincius Da Silva Fucuta 4-0 in Group C, finishing second to Thailand’s Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn, who won all of his six matches.

Hamza won 23 frames, but conceded 12 and had the frame-difference of 11 at the end of the first round.

The players have progressed to the last-64 round in the championship, featuring 126 players in 18 groups in the first round.

 

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