KARACHI, Nov. 14: Debutant Imran Shehzad recorded his second win in the World Snooker Championship in Korat (Thailand) while seasoned Saleh Muhammad suffered his first defeat after registering three successive wins according to information received by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) on Wednesday.

The Lahore-born Imran dropped two frames against Kuwaiti Nawaf Alhamli before chalking up 4-2 win, ending the game with a superb break of 87 in the decider.

The diminutive Imran made a brilliant start by grabbing the opening three frames on a trot. But Nawaf took the fourth frame 72-37 and a break of 78 helped him to make it 3-2.

However, Imran blanked Nawaf with a break of 87 to record 73-38, 58-39,57-55, 37-72, 84-1, 87-0 victory.

Imran will take on Lee Po-Hsien of Chinese Taipei on Thursday in the morning session and clash Tameral Al-Masri of Jordan in the evening session of group “F”.

After back-to-back wins against Wasif Al-Shaka’a (Jordan), Do Hoon Kim (Korea), Noppadol Sangnil (Thailand), Saleh went down 4-2 against Vincent Muldoon of Ireland.

A former world number two, Saleh grabbed first and fifth frame before going down 18-72, 64-51, 62-15, 72-30, 49-73, 85-24.

However, Saleh returned to winning ways in the afternoon session, bulldozing Omar Mounchid of Myanmar 4-0.

The mercurial cueist smashed breaks of 52 in the second and 88 in the third frame to register 70-09,62-41, 88-0, 88-0 to secure fourth win in five matches.—APP