KARACHI: Experience prevailed as the quartet comprising old hands entered the semi-finals of the Jubilee Insurance third national ranking snooker championship here at the Karachi Gymkhana on Tuesday.

Three of the four victorious cueists namely Mohammad Sajjad, Mohammad Bilal and Sohail Shahzad were stretched to limits in the best of nine frames quarter-finals while Mohammad Asif won with ease.

Two-time former national champion unseeded Sajjad has returned to form by making back-to-back semi-finals after handing 5-4 defeat to Abdul Sattar. Sajjad, who had won many laurels to the nation in his prime, staged a comeback from 3-4 down to whip Sattar 77-32, 1-87, 5-65, 76-48, 89-49, 8-83, 46-82, 59-19, 71-30 in agonising battle.

It is pertinent to mention that Sajjad had suffered 4-6 loss at the hands of young Mubashir Raza in the NBP Cup semi-final two months back.

Another unseeded Sohail, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games gold medallist in the team event along with Shahram Changezi and Imran Shahzad, has made it to the last four of a ranking event after a long layoff.

He halted the run of former country’s top cueist Babar Masih notching up thrilling 5-4 victory the scores being 86-39, 31-71, 60-30, 19-72, 63-35, 10-92, 33-60, 104-8, 44-13.

Top seed Asif and fourth seed Bilal, both former and incumbent national champions respectively, justified their credentials.

Asif sent third seed Asjad Iqbal packing 5-2 (76-29, 23-68, 36-65, 86-49, 65-59, 57-45, 56-48) while Bilal struggled to overcome former NBP Cup champion Mohammad Ijaz 5-4 (0-113, 23-83, 68-52, 78-0, 70-12, 21-94, 65-31, 0-73, 61-22).

Sajjad is drawn to meet Bilal while Asif takes on Sohail in the two semi-finals on Wednesday.

Earlier, Asif, Asjad, Bilal, Sajjad and Sohail joined Babar, Ijaz and Sattar in the last eight. The four seeded cueists who could not make it includes second seed Zulfiqar A. Qadir, fifth seed Mubashir, sixth seed Naseem Akhtar and eighth seed Ahsan Javaid.

Results:

Mohammad Asif (Punjab) bt Mohammad Ahsan Javaid (Punjab) 4-1 (50-81, 136-8, 71-62, 59-8, 91-0); Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) bt Zulfiqar A. Qadir (Sindh) 4-3 (64-37, 5-72, 0-92, 60-21, 31-88, 90-10, 75-4); Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab) bt Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 4-3 (18-71, 65-51, 67-66, 60-52, 4-84, 11-64, 68-63); Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) bt Mubashir Raza (Punjab) 4-2 (67-66, 73-55, 1-79, 70-62, 50-58, 92-0).

Quarter-finals:

Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) bt Abdul Sattar (Sindh) 5-4 (77-32, 1-87, 5-65, 76-48, 89-49, 8-83, 46-82, 59-19, 71-30); Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) bt Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) 5-4 (0-113, 23-83, 68-52, 78-0, 70-12, 21-94, 65-31, 0-73, 61-22); Mohammad Asif (Punjab) bt Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 5-2 (76-29, 23-68, 36-65, 86-49, 65-59, 57-45, 56-48); Sohail Shahzad (Sindh) bt Babar Masih (Punjab) 5-4 (86-39, 31-71, 60-30, 19-72, 63-35, 10-92, 33-60, 104-8, 44-13).

Monday’s remaining result:

Shahid Aftab (Punjab) bt Mohammad Hamza Ilyas (Punjab) 4-1 (90-8, 76-6, 65-50, 22-57, 78-14).

Wednesday’s fixtures:

At 10am: Semi-finals (Best of nine frames):

Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) vs Mohammad Bilal (Punjab), Mohammad Asif (Punjab) vs Sohail Shahzad (Sindh).

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2019