KARACHI, Sept 21: Fourth seed Naveen Perwani, staging a marvellous recovery came from behind to edge out top seed Khurram Hussain Agha 7-6, in the final of the 16th Red & White Latif Masters snooker tournament played at the Karachi Club on Saturday night.

Naveen, who had never won a ranking tournament todate although figuring in several finals, it was indeed a day to remember, overcoming the jinx that haunted him for several years.

Trailing 2-6 at one stage and just a frame away from another setback, Naveen rallied strongly and sweeping through the next five frames came out a worthy 7-6 winner.

Khurram too has also never won a ranking tournament but tops the rankings on points after several mishaps in the final. For this youngster, it was to be a moment for being so near and yet so far away.

Thrashing second seed Saleh Mohammad 6-1 in the semi-finals, Khurram continued where he had left out on Friday evening, winning the first two frames, before Naveen cut down the deficit 1-2 and with a fine break of 35 levelled the frame scores 2-2, by pinching the next frame 77/38.

Then chalking up a fluent break of 42, Naveen seemed on course to take over the lead 3-2, but it was actually Khurram who bagged the fifth frame answering back with a handsome break of 52.

Brushing his opponent aside in the sixth, Khurram went into the interval happily placed 4-2 ahead.

When play began again, Khurram playing some fine snooker picked up the seventh and eight frames to take a 6-2 lead and was now only a frame away from victory.

Fighting for survival with his back to the wall, Naveen managed to grab the ninth frame on the tie black ball after both cueists missed several opportunities to sink the black.

With only a frame away from victory, Khurram scored a brisk 20 points. Naveen in his turn at the table did better with 27 points. Soon both cueists were tied 35-35, before Naveen took over the lead again 42-34.

Khurram now seemed to be on the victory trail, potting the last red ball with the brown and then sinking yellow and green, inoffed on the brown.

Heaving a sigh of relief being let off the hook, Naveen gratefully potted brown to pink to claw his way back closer 4-6.

It seemed all the escape routes were shut off when Khurram raced away with a 34/1 lead in the 11th frame. But Naveen not giving up in a hurry snookered Khurram thrice behind the pink earning valuable points. Khurram once again blundered badly when he inoffed again with his cue ball after sinking the last red. Naveen then potting yellow to pink closed the gap 5-6.

Naveen sensing that victory was in sight ran away with a 34/14 lead in the vital 12th frame. Potting three reds with the black Khurram was ahead 51/39 with one red and the coloured balls on the table.

Naveen potting the last red with yellow followed it up again with yellow, green, brown, blue and pink to snatch the frame 65/51 to level the frame scores 6-6.

Going for the kill as Khurram now under pressure missed several chances to score, Naveen ran up a 23/2 lead. Khurram finally getting back into his strides closed the gap 20/23 only to inoff with his cue ball once again. With one red and coloured balls to play for, Naveen moved ahead 41/20 and then sinking red with the coloured balls was home and dry 63/20 and a worthy 7-6 winner.

For Khurram, beaten but certainly not disgraced, it was yet another disappointing final for this young man. But Khurram indeed has the talent to win a ranking trophy for himself in the near future.

At the prize distribution ceremony held after the match, Asghar Ali Valika, President PBSA, presented the winning cheque of rupees 1,00,000 to Naveen Perwani, along with the glittering Latif Masters Trophy.

Khurram received the runners-up cheque for Rs.60,000 and also Rs.10,000 for chalking up the highest break of 131, in the tournament. Khurram also sounded a break of 107 in the qualifying rounds.

The two runners-up, the big guns in the Pakistan snooker circuit Mohammad Yousuf and Saleh Mohammad each received a purse of Rs.25,000 apiece.

Atiq Latif Bux, scion of the Later Latif Amir Bux, in whose name the tournament is being played, received Rs.10,000 for finishing third in Pool B. Imran Shahzad received the same amount for also finishing third best in Pool A.

Following were the final results:

Naveen Perwani (Sindh) beat Khurram Hussain Agha (Sindh) 7-6: 45/52, 33/65, 59/44, 77/38, 46/81, 24/69, 8/66, 41/77, 63/51, 69/44, 60/34, 65/51, 63/20.