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| May 15, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1426 |
Saleh routs Yousuf in final
KARACHI, May 14: Top seed Saleh Mohammad, the present world amateur number two snooker cueist, held his top billing by swamping the former world and Asian snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf 6-2, in the 9th Style ranking snooker Championship at the Karachi Gymkhana on Saturday.
Before a jampacked audience, Saleh began the proceedings in great style pinching the first frame 110/18 with a fluent break of 53. Continuing on his winning ways Saleh picked up the next two also, which included another break of 40 in the third to secure a comfortable 3-0 lead.
In a see-saw fourth frame where the lead changed hands several times, Yousuf finally came through a close 63/51 winner, potting the blue, pink and black. Now in a better frame of mind Yousuf with some marvellous potting was leading Saleh by 45 points with two reds and the coloured balls to sink.
But Saleh the master craftsman made a clearance of 45 to level the scores and received an standing ovation when he potted the last black ball once again.
For Yousuf this was indeed a great setback, instead of trailing 2-3 getting back into his strides, he was now sinking fast 1-4.
Saleh continuing his ruthless approach for the trophy beat Yousuf 77/50 in another close fought out encounter in the sixth and was only a frame away from victory 5-1 in front.
But the Yousuf, a living legend, fought on gamely and helped on with a steady break of 55, snapped up the seventh frame 77/50 to close the gap 2-5. Rather amused with the proceedings, Saleh decided enough was enough.
Scoring quickly in short bursts with every visit to the table, Saleh continued to pile on the points and went on to win the eighth frame rather easily 65/22 and the match 6-2.
Saleh received the winners cheque of Rs40,000 with a glittering cup which was presented to him by the President of the PBSA Asghar Valika.
Yousuf had to be satisfied with a purse of Rs30,000 and a trophy, presented to him by the vice-president of the Karachi Gymkhana Haji Usman, while the two runner-ups Naveen Perwani and Raees Khan received their tropies and Rs15000 apiece.
The four quarterfinalists Shehram Changezi (Lahore), Inam-ur-Rehman (NWFP), Imran Shehzad (Punjab) and Abu Saim (Punjab) received Rs5000. each with their respective trophies.
The eight pre-quarterfinalists Imtiaz Tipu (Punjab), Salman Sheikh (Sindh), Saqib Zia (Punjab), Shakeel Bhatti (Sindh), Atiq Latif Bux (Sindh), Minhas Malik (Sindh), Mohammad Asif (Punjab) and Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) received Rs3000 each with their trophies. Imran Shehzad scoring the highest break of 121 during the tournament, received Rs5000.
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