KARACHI: At least seven cueists including Pakistan No 1 Imran Shehzad have bright prospects of making it to the last 16 knockout stage with unbeaten record in their respective groups so far in the 39th National Snooker Championship at Karachi Gymkhana on Wednesday.

Drawn in group A, top ranked Imran has won all his three matches and rounds off his engagements by playing against Sindh’s Sultan Mohammad on Thursday, the last day of league, at 2pm.

It is pertinent to mention that the national title has eluded him on four occasions during the last one decade. The 39-year-old cueist made his maiden final of the national championship in 2004 where he lost to veteran IBSF world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf.

He reached the final second time the following year where former Pakistan No 1 Khurram Agha spoiled his dream. He made it third final of his career in 2011 where he fallen prey to Shahid Aftab. Never say die Imran cruised into the final for the fourth time where his dream didn’t come true as he went down 7-8 Hamza Akbar in the fully stretched battle.

The six other cueists who have an unbeaten record at the time of filing this report are Sultan Mohammad, Amir Tariq, Mohammad Sajjad, Abu Saim, Shahram Changezi and Mohammad Majid Ali.Sultan blanked Mohsin Amin 64-25, 86-1, 73-9, 69-17 while Amir Tariq conceded a frame while routing Fawad Khan 4-1. He was home 68-33, 50-9, 17-49, 62-46, 70-26.

Promising Majid continued his winning spree while getting the better of Sindh champion Khizar Aziz 4-3. The former won 29-53, 35-66, 56-40, 71-38, 15-81, 83-13, 64-18.

The position of pre quarter-finalists will become clear when the league matches concludes on Thursday.

Results: Mohammad Ishtiaq (Sindh) bt Khurram Agha (Sindh) 4-1 (5-71, 72-37, 62-51, 61-23, 70-65); Sharjeel Mehmnood (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Mohammad Afzaal (Punjab) 4-1 (59-12, 62-19, 10-64, 73-42, 59-41); Babar Masih (Punjab) bt Abdul Raziq (Balochistan) 4-0 (71-37, 70-28, 66-41, 55-39); Aakash Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Haris Nadeem (junior two) 4-2 (60-14, 67-45, 73-18, 42-76, 43-57, 53-17); Mohammad Majid Ali (junior one) bt Khizar Aziz (Sindh) 4-3 (29-53, 35-66, 56-40, 71-38, 15-81, 83-13, 64-18); Nauman Awan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Mohammad Imran (Punjab) 4-3 (34-71, 57-18, 62-68, 54-68, 55-56, 82-46, 54-101); Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) bt Salman Ahmed Shaikh (S indh) 4-1 (79-8, 64-21, 14-81, 50-4, 89-0); Sultan Mohammad (Sindh) bt Mohsin Amin (Punjab) 4-0 (64-25, 86-1, 73-9, 69-17); Amir Tariq (Punjab) bt Fawad Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-1 (68-33, 50-9, 17-49, 62-46, 70-26); Mohammad Yousuf (Punjab) bt Rambel Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-1 (17-53, 57-33, 68-58, 67-16, 57-51).

Thursday’s fixtures: At 10.00am: S. Kamran-ur-Rehman (Balochistan) v Mujtahid Ali Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahram Changezi (Islamabad) v Najeebullah (Balochistan), Aakash Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) v Mohammad Ishtiaq (Sindh), Khizar Aziz (Sindh) v Mohammad Afzaal (Punjab).

At 12.00noon: Mohammad Imran (Punjab) v Abdul Raziq (Balochistan), Haris Nadeem (junior two) v Salman Ahmed Shaikh (Sindh), Mohammad Majid Ali (junior one) v Faiq Malik (Punjab), Nauman Awan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) v Sohail Shehzad (Sindh).

At 2.00pm: Imran Shehzad (Punjab) v Sultan Mohammad (Sindh), Mohammad Asif (Punjab) v Amir Tariq (Punjab), Shahid Aftab (Punjab) v Mohammad Yousuf (Punjab), Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) v Abu Saim (Punjab).

At 4.00pm: Abdul Sattar (Sindh) v Farhan Noor (Punjab), Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) v Khurram Agha (Sindh), Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) v Sharjeel Mehmnood (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Hamza Akbar (Punjab) v Babar Masih (Punjab).