Unseeded Kamran on course to last 16 in Snooker Cup
By Ian Fyfe
KARACHI, July 26: Unseeded Kamran Razzak making his appearance in a ranking tournament for the very first time, was on course for reaching the last 16, when he beat Punjab's seasoned cueist Saqib Butt 4-2
, in the Snooker Cup played on Monday evening at the Area Snooker Club in Gizri.
Inducted into the tournament along with Mukhtar Khan and Irfan Rasheed Khan due to the absence of Naveen Perwani, Arifullah and Faiq Malik, Kamran who managed to pinch two frames from second seed Saleh Mohammad on the opening day, did better on Monday leading Saqib 3-0 helped on with a quick break of 60.
When the fourth frame began Kamran was leading 20-0, but in his eagerness to finish the match in style, Kamran missed the black ball. From then it was Saqib all the way, claiming the frame 68/22, aided on with a break of 42 to cut down the deficit 1-3.
Getting back into his strides, Saqib ranked at No.15 in the circuit picked up the second frame also to claw his way closer 2-3. But Kamran unruffled with the situation continued where he had left off in the first three frames bagging the sixth 66/22 to emerge a happy 4-2 winner.
With one more match to play in Group B, Kamran and Saqib are at par on points and frames won. To qualify for the last 16, Kamran now has to beat Sindh's Masood Ahmed, a player who has still to gain a point after his two matches. Saqib however, has a very steep mountain to climb. He has to beat Saleh Mohammad by a big frame margin to make his entry into the pre-quarterfinals.
After the second day's play, Saleh reigns supreme on top in Group B, brushing aside Masood Ahmed 4-0, studded with two breaks of 43 and 73 in the first two frames.
Joining Saleh in the last 16 were the two veterans in Group C, Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Akhlas. Yousuf demolished Punjab's M. Imtiaz Tipu 4-0, and the same could be said about Akhlas, who registered a 4-0 triumph over Irfan Rasheed Khan with fine breaks of 55 and 60.
With two straight 4-0 defeats, Irfan drafted into this tournament was forced to make his exit. Fourth seed Imran Shehzad was in sparkling form on the second day, chalking up breaks of 42, 38, 68 and a magnificent clearance of 96 points, as he swept Balochistan's Janan Khan off his feet with a 4-0 victory.
Joining Imran in the last 16 from Group D is Minhas Malik, who with breaks of 46, 41 and 43 in the final frame beat Shahid Ali 4-1. Fifth seed Atiq Latif Bux was also through to the knockout rounds, making short work of Shakir Rafiq 4-1, with breaks of 89, 48 and 49. Joining Atiq from Group E is the dangerous cueist from the NWFP, Shah Khan, who breezed past his counterpart Wajed Khan 4-0.
Also making their exits from the tournament are sixth seed Vishan Gir and seventh seed Amit Parwani. Vishan, presently in the USA, failed to make his appearance at the venue for the second straight day, while Amit losing 3-4 to Punjab's Shehram Changezi, tasted his second defeat in a row, going down once again with the black ball sealing his doom.
Shehram who lost his opening match to Abu Saim 4-1, will now join Abu in the last 16, after Abu handed out a 4-0 defeat to Shahid Ilyas, chalking up breaks of 47, 48 and 48, in the first, third and final frame.
Eighth seed Shakeel Bhatti receiving a shock 4-0 defeat at the hands of Farrukh Usman, boosted his chances of reaching the pre-quarterfinals stage, with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Raees Khan.
Raees beat Mohammad Nazir 4-3 on the opening day, but could not continue with his winning ways. Nazir also kept his chances alive after registering a 4-0 win over Farrukh Usman.
In fact all the four cueists in Group H have a point each with Nazir leading the four on frame advantage and Raees in the second spot. Tuesday's encounter however, will decide who will progress further in the tournament from this group.
Balochistan's Kamran Shah had the top seed Khurram Hussain Agha in a spot of bother after picking up the first two frames and leading in the third. But Khurram, a seasoned campaigner got his act together pocketing the next four on the trot to perch himself on top in Group A. The last match in the group between Kamran and Mukhtar on Tuesday, will decide who will join Khurram in the last 16.
The Styles tournament winner Rambel Gul humbled by Mohammad Asif 4-3 on Sunday, routed Mohammad Amin 4-0 and will join Asif in the knockout round from Group F. Asif was awarded a walkover on Monday against Vishan Gir.
Also being awarded a walkover was Mukhtar Khan against Imran Mughal. The third day's qualifying matches continue on Tuesday from 10.a.m. at the Area Snooker Club.
