KARACHI: Jan 29: Punjab’s M. Faiq Malik, caused quite a stir on the ninth day of the 28th Red & White National Snooker Championship, when he toppled fifth seeded counterpart Imran Shehzad 5-4, at the KPT Sports Complex on Wednesday, to book a berth in the quarterfinals.

The bespectacled cueist ranked No.13, and one from the promising bunch of youngsters from Punjab, won the opening frame, but with Shehzad moving into top gear tied the scores 1-1 and then again at 2-2.

Shehzad who continued to match his younger opponent stroke for stroke, then came through with a flowing break of 105, the first century break of the tournament to take over the lead for the first time in the match 3-2. Unruffled by his partner’s brilliant performance, Faiq hit back by grabbing the next two frames 60/34 and 68/22 to snatch the lead again 4-3.

Playing steadily, Shehzad was once again abreast at 4-4, but it was Faiq who came through the victory trail, winning the last frame and the absorbing match 5-4, helped on with a fine break of 47.

Mirza Shahdab Baig, lucky to reach the last 16 the previous evening, played some dazzling snooker to take a commanding 3-0 lead, sounding breaks of 42 and 46 in the opening and third frame against third seed Saleh Mohammad. If anyone in the hall thought that another upset was in the making were soon to be in for a surprise themselves.

Saleh who loves to strike his best when the chips are down, suddenly seemed to have awakened from his deep slumber. With two breaks of 45 and 41, Saleh breezed through to the last five frames 76/30, 60/3, 58/11, 72/56, 71/7, with Shadab standing by helplessly seeing victory snatched out of his grasp.

Another cueist in tremendous form on Thursday was Sindh’s Shakeel Bhatti, who whizzed past Punjab’s Mohammad Nazir 5-2, with breaks of 45, 34, 34, 43 and 102, missing pink in the centre pocket, to register the second century break of the tournament.

Top seed Khurram Hussain Agha also seemed to be in form with his 5-2 success over Mohammad Akhlas , chalking up breaks of 57, 35, 58, 90 and 41. Akhlas came back strongly in the sixth frame helped on with 64 points on the trot.

Dangerman Rambel Gul winning the first two frames against Mohammad Yousuf gave his vast band of supporters something to cheer about. But little did they reckon that the former world and Asian amateur champion still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Playing like a world champion, Yousuf breezed through the next five frames 70/18, 70/2, 67/45, 70/33, 75/13 to end Rambel’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals.

In a seesaw tussle, second seed Naveen Perwani was tied with Punjab’s Abu Saim 3-3, with Abu registering breaks of 35 and 54 and Naveen replying back with 64. Then beginning to pot much better, Naveen grabbed the next two frames to come through a 5-3 winner.

In another close tussle, seventh seed Atiq Latif Bux had to bring out his best in overcoming the stiff resistance from NWFP’s Shah Khan.

Winning the first two frames and again the fifth after Atiq managed to pull two back, Shah was comfortably placed with a 3-2 lead.

But Atiq, scion of the late and great Latif Amir Bux, displayed glimpses of his illustrated father’s prowess and potting everything in sight, picked up the last three frames and the match 5-3.

The defending champion and sixth seed Farhan Mirza, had the most easiest moments, when he brushed aside former Pakistan No.2 Mohammad Shafiq 5-1;

Shafiq was completely mesmerised with Farhan’s awesome play. The defending champion in the process had breaks of 69 and 47 in the first and third frames, while Shafiq managed 41 in the second.

Results