March 30, 2006	Thursday	Safar 29, 1427

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KARACHI, March 29: The 31st National snooker championship will throw a new champion as unfancied Imran Shehzad and Khurram Agha propelled into the final after they toppled Abu Saim and Saleh Mohammad in one-sided pre-finals on the penultimate day, Wednesday.

Sixth seed Imran accounted for fourth seed Saim 6-2 in the all-Punjab match while seventh seed Khurram humbled defending champion and second seed, Saleh 6-1.

The best of 11 frames final between Imran and Khurram will be played Thursday at 11.00am.

Imran, 30, who earlier in the day got the better of Sindh’s Sohail Shehzad 5-2 in the quarterfinal, conceded only two frames while chalking up 74-20, 58-53, 62-59, 16-62, 85-4, 72-37, 36-52, 57-19 victory over Saim.

Having represented the country at Busan Asian Games four years back and Asian snooker meet at Jordan in 2004, Imran was in aggressive mood as he took a commanding 3-0 lead over his opponent.

Saim, who made his way into the last four by handing a 5-2 defeat to NWFP’s Rambel Gul, stormed back but could only grab fourth frame 62-16 before going 1-5 down. The former again staged a comeback in the game taking the seventh frame 52-36 but it was too late. Imran wrapped up the match by pocketing the eighth frame 57-19.

Khurram, a former Pakistan No 1, was impressive in his two wins. After cutting third seed Naveen Perwani to size 5-1, he pulled off yet another upset, by inflicting 6-1 defeat on Saleh.

He was home 71-21, 76-54, 28-65, 64-51, 50-33, 70-42, 73-55.

This is the second occasion when Imran and Khurram have made it to the final of the National’s. The latter went down to Farhan Mirza in 2002 while the former tasted defeat at the hands of Yousuf in 2004.

Top seed Yousuf and fifth seed Atiq were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals the other day while second, third and fourth seeds made their exit on Wednesday.

Results: (quarterfinals)

Abu Saim (Pun) bt Rambel Gul (NWFP) 5-2 (66-22, 67-28, 15-56, 24-63, 68-34, 116-1, 52-15); Imran Shehzad (Pun) bt Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) 5-2 (58-52, 0-103, 55-46, 75-24, 72-6, 72-49, 69-1); Khurram Agha (Sindh) bt Naveen Perwani (Sindh) 5-1 (74-33, 93-6, 81-25, 47-58, 78-35, 63-59); Saleh Mohammad (NWFP) bt Vishan Gir (Sindh) 5-4 (57-50, 65-53, 47-70, 66-13, 18-60, 82-12, 32-71, 40-64, 76-40).

(semifinals): Imran Shehzad bt Abu Saim 6-2 (74-20, 58-53, 62-59, 16-62, 85-4, 72-37, 36-52, 57-19); Khurram Agha bt Saleh Mohammad 6-1 (71-21, 76-54, 28-65, 64-51, 50-33, 70-42, 73-55).

Thursday’s fixtures: (final)

11.00am Imran Shehzad v Khurram Agha.