KARACHI: Two Pakistan cueists Mohammad Naseem Akhtar and Haris Tahir cruised into the knockout pre quarter-finals as their compatriot Mohammad Rafiq met his fate in the Asian under-21 snooker championship at Chandigarh on Tuesday.

According to results made available here, both Naseem and Haris remained undefeated in their respective groups while Rafiq failed to win a single match.

Naseem, who held the national under-18 and under-21 titles under his belt, sent Indian Sunny Babar packing straight 4-0 (76-21, 88-0, 75-36, 68-32) to complete his league matches on winning note.

Earlier, after reaching the Indian city, he overcomes Hong Kong’s Yun Fung Tam in the fully stretched battle 4-3 (59-11, 2-77, 70-25, 12-133, 57-17, 0-77, 62-23).

He did not get nervous despite his opponent’s two elegant breaks of 125 and 77 in the fourth and sixth frames and managed to win the seventh and decisive frame to open his account.

In his next fixture, he routed Thailand’s Narongdat Takantong 4-2 (80-31, 14-82, 83-6, 52-74, 71-25, 63-41) cracking two half century breaks of 51 and 66 in the first and third frames.

Following his footsteps, national under-21 runner-up Haris carved out 4-2 victory over Hong Kong’s Ming Wa Man in the last fixture to top group E. He won the duel 76-59, 39-66, 52-63, 69-31, 55-20, 58-39.

Earlier, he blanked Ayman Alamri of Saudi Arabia 72-9, 66-20, 80-4, 73-8 and was home 4-1 over Indian Digvijay Kadian (37-60, 70-50, 53-45, 90-21, 72-34).

Rafiq, the semi-finalists of the two domestic events, failed to come up to the mark losing all his three games in group B.

The pre quarter-finals will be played on Wednesday.

Results:

Fan Zhengyi (China) bt Mohammad Rafiq 4-0 (69-37, 71-47, 88-17, 73-16); Haris Tahir bt Ming Wa Man (Hong Kong) 4-2 (76-59, 39-66, 52-63, 69-31, 55-20, 58-39); Mohammad Naseem Akhtar bt Sunny Babar (India) 4-0 (76-21, 88-0, 75-36, 68-32).

Monday’s results:

Jefrey Today (Philippines) bt Mohammad Rafiq 4-0 (58-21, 110-5, 58-29, 69-10); Haris Tahir bt Ayman Alamri (Saudi Arabia) 4-0 (72-9, 66-20, 80-4, 73-8); Mohammad Naseem Akhtar bt Yun Fung Tam (Hong Kong) 4-3 (59-11, 2-77, 70-25, 12-133, 57-17, 0-77, 62-23); Ishpreet Singh Chadha (India) bt Mohammad Rafiq 4-2 (66-13, 9-69, 56-45, 69-9, 46-53, 78-53); Haris Tahir bt Digvijay Kadian (India) 4-1 (37-60, 70-50, 53-45, 90-21, 72-34); Naseem Akhtar bt Narongdat Takantong (Thailand) 4-2 (80-31, 14-82, 83-6, 52-74, 71-25, 63-41).

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2017