ISLAMABAD: In a major upset in the ongoing Jubilee Insurance U-21 National Snooker Championship, promising player Raees Ali Usama defeated reigning champion and former world champion Naseem Akhtar in five-frames here at the Pakistan Sports Complex’s snooker hall on Sunday.

Raees shocked former world U-18 champion and defending champion 4-1 (61-35, 31-92, 65-41, 71-21 and 55-47) in the pre-quarter final.Like Raees, Haris Tahir, Ahsan Yousaf, Sheheryar Abbas, Ali Haider, Mohammad Mudassir Sheikh — all from Punjab — and Mohammad Saleem of KPK qualified for the quarter-finals. While national U-18 champion Mudassir Sheikh, also from Punjab, also qualified for the quarter-final when he defeated Punjab’s Umer Khan 4-2.

All the four quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played on Monday while the final has been scheduled to be played on Tuesday on best-of-11 frames.

Results:

Ali Haider bt Abid Sajjad 4-1 :(69-26, 58-22, 25-47, 77-26, 69-21) ;Shehryar Abbas bt Shehryar Khan 4-2: ( 68-42, 41-69, 53-47, 57-04, 13-62, 71-52); Mohammad Saleem bt Saad Khan: 4-1 (48-52, 51-39, 64-13, 69-20, 70-49); Ahsan Yousuf bt Mohammad Hamza 4-2: (70-13 (54), 67-17, 25-57, 63-47, 38-55, 47-13); Raees Ali Usama bt Mohammad Naseem Akhtar 4-1: (61-35, 31-92, 65-41, 71-21, 55-47); Shaikh M. Mudassir bt Umer Khan 4-2; (80-02, 65-09, 0-57, 13-80, 58-53, 74-35); Haris Tahir bt Umer Farooq 4-0 :(71-0 (66), 76-48, 54-18, 57-31); Usman Ahmed bt Mohammad Shahbaz 4-2: (62-20, 50-42, 60-46, 63-71, 35-58, 73-30).

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019