Fighting till the end: Muhammad Sajjad loses final battle to Yan Bingtao
Despite losing the crown to Bingtao, it was a step up for Sajjad, who had been a losing semi-finalist in the previous edition.
“I’m gutted to lose the final in the decider after working so hard to get here,” Sajjad told The Express Tribune. “The aim was to become world champion but it just didn’t happen this year. I’ll now try to go all the way in the next edition and win the title. The silver lining though is that I’ve improved in the championship by taking the silver medal this time around.”
The final proved that it was a battle between two of the best cueists in the event, as both players stretched each other to their limits in an attempt to turn the game in their favour.
The Chinese opened the match by winning the first frame, but Sajjad replied by triumphing in the next two. Bingtao levelled the game by edging past his opponent in the fourth frame and refused to back down as he tilted the scoreboard 3-2 to his advantage.
However, the Pakistani cueist made it a point to keep his opponent in check to take the score to 3-3 and then 4-4. It was at this point that Bingtao prepared for a fightback to win the next two frames in succession to make it 6-4.
Despite the challenge, the Faisalabad-based player kept his nerves in control to slowly make his way back by winning the 11th frame and then turned on the heat some more by going 7-6 up.
He was just a frame away from glory and Bingtao kept it that way by first levelling the match at 7-7 and then winning the decider to be crowned champion with scores of 71-59, 16-81, 22-75, 67-53, 77-13, 4-93(79), 63-38, 0-86(73), 76-09(76), 70-37, 65-72(50), 38-76, 16-107(60), 72-21 and 61-15(60).
“It was an exciting final where the game veered to the extremes; it was a real test of nerves,” said Sajjad. “In the end, it came down to luck and Bingtao struck a 60-point break in the decider which left me with little opportunity to do much.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association President Alamgir Sheikh said he was happy with Sajjad and termed his performance ‘exceptional’.
“He was exceptional throughout the event as he won 11 matches and lost only the final, and that too in the last frame,” said Sheikh. “There is still life in Pakistan snooker and the government should realise that quickly.”
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