KARACHI: Displaying his career best performance, Zulfiqar A. Qadir stunned seasoned Mohammad Bilal 6-2 to sneak in his career’s maiden final of a ranking championship at the Karachi Gymkhana on Thursday.

He is now drawn to face former world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Asif in the final on Friday after the latter sent top player Asjad Iqbal packing straight 6-0 in the first semi-final of the Jubilee Insurance third ranking snooker championship.

Qadir, a former Sindh Cup runner-up, was engaged in close fight with his opponent until the fifth frame with a 3-2 lead in the match. Later there was no stopping as he maintained his hold by claiming the next three frames and the match.

He was home 56-53, 123-0, 17-67, 85-76, 14-79, 68-8, 66-37, 81-31.

The two cueists were engaged in a neck and neck battle in the first frame of the second semi-final with Qadir winning 56-53.

He kept his domination and cue control, never giving a chance to his opponent, hammering a break of 62 to win the second frame 123-0.

Bilal rejuvenated his act and replied with a break of 53 as Qadir conceded the third frame 17-67 that reduced his lead to 1-2.

Qadir enhanced his lead to 3-1 by winning the fourth frame 85-76 only to lose the next 14-79 that include a break of 52 by Bilal.

Qadir was on song taking the following three frames 68-8, 66-37, 81-31 in a row to wrap up the mach.

Earlier, Asif overcome his bad patch while routing Asjad 6-0 to make his first domestic final of the year.

The triumph also helped him avenge the 3-5 defeat he had suffered at the hands of Asjad in the pre quarter-finals of the NBP Cup in August.

Earlier, Asif had suffered a 1-5 loss at the hands of Khurram Agha in the pre quarters of this year’s national championship in March.

Asif won the duel 73-0, 75-1, 66-21, 59-45, 47-4, 96-25.

Results:

Semi-finals:

Mohammad Asif (Punjab) bt Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 6-0 (73-0, 75-1, 66-21, 59-45, 47-4, 96-25); Zulfiqar A.Qadir (Sindh) bt Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) 6-2 (56-53, 123-0, 17-67, 85-76, 14-79, 68-8, 66-37, 81-31).

Friday’s fixtures:

Final (Best of 15 frames) Mohammad Asif v Zulfiqar A. Qadir at 9am

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2017