National Snooker Championship: Toba ousted by Hamza in last-16 stage
Defending champion suffered shock 5-2 defeat in see-saw encounter.
Defending champion suffered shock 5-2 defeat in see-saw encounter. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE
KARACHI:
Hamza Akbar knocked out defending champion Muhammad Asif Toba at the 40th National Snooker Championship, beating him 5-2 in their last-16 match played here at a local hotel on Friday.
Toba took the lead by winning the first frame, but Hamza levelled in the second. The champion restored his one-frame lead, but that was all he could manage as Hamza swept the next four frames on the trot, winning with scores of 28-64(57), 71-07(56), 01-54, 61-06, 79-46, 96-11 and 63-07.
Meanwhile, Babar Masih came out on top in a thrilling nine-setter with Muhammad Majid Ali as he won with a scoreline of 0-105, 71-25, 68-02(58), 10-83(52), 50-51, 56-34, 40-72, 55-53 and 68-01.
Shahram Changezi and Khurram Agha registered easy 5-1 victories over Hunain Amir and Zulfiqar Qadir.
Former IBSF world champion Muhammad Asif, who has been out of form in recent times, continued to gather momentum as he thrashed Abdul Sattar in straight frames.
Asif triumphed by 68-43, 77-39, 83-0, 131-0(69) and 84-0, while Muhammad Imran also won in similar fashion against Amir Tariq.
Another seasoned cueist Muhammad Sajjad halted Rambail Gul’s run in the event, winning 5-1 by scores of 78-28, 74-47, 65-41, 0-93, 88-13 and 93-01(88).
In the quarter-finals, Shahram Changezi will lock horns with Babar Masih, while Asif will take on Khurram in what will be the most highly anticipated match of the last-eight stage.
Hamza will come face to face with Muhammad Imran, while Aakash Rafique faces a tough task with a match against Sajjad.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.
Hamza Akbar knocked out defending champion Muhammad Asif Toba at the 40th National Snooker Championship, beating him 5-2 in their last-16 match played here at a local hotel on Friday.
Toba took the lead by winning the first frame, but Hamza levelled in the second. The champion restored his one-frame lead, but that was all he could manage as Hamza swept the next four frames on the trot, winning with scores of 28-64(57), 71-07(56), 01-54, 61-06, 79-46, 96-11 and 63-07.
Meanwhile, Babar Masih came out on top in a thrilling nine-setter with Muhammad Majid Ali as he won with a scoreline of 0-105, 71-25, 68-02(58), 10-83(52), 50-51, 56-34, 40-72, 55-53 and 68-01.
Shahram Changezi and Khurram Agha registered easy 5-1 victories over Hunain Amir and Zulfiqar Qadir.
Former IBSF world champion Muhammad Asif, who has been out of form in recent times, continued to gather momentum as he thrashed Abdul Sattar in straight frames.
Asif triumphed by 68-43, 77-39, 83-0, 131-0(69) and 84-0, while Muhammad Imran also won in similar fashion against Amir Tariq.
Another seasoned cueist Muhammad Sajjad halted Rambail Gul’s run in the event, winning 5-1 by scores of 78-28, 74-47, 65-41, 0-93, 88-13 and 93-01(88).
In the quarter-finals, Shahram Changezi will lock horns with Babar Masih, while Asif will take on Khurram in what will be the most highly anticipated match of the last-eight stage.
Hamza will come face to face with Muhammad Imran, while Aakash Rafique faces a tough task with a match against Sajjad.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.