DOHA: After a hard fou­ght final, Pakistan’s yo­u­ng cueist Ahsan Ram­zan falls in the final of the IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Cha­m­­p­i­onship and had to suffice with a silver as he lost to Michael Georgiou of Cyp­rus in Doha on Wednesday.

Georgiou, who earlier overcame another Pakis­tani player Mohammad Naseem Akhtar 6-5 (65-0, 06-42, 39-22, 68-0, 25-44, 67-0, 0-40, 4-44, 46-08, 0-45, 32-24) in the semi-final, edged past Ahsan 6-4 to clinch the gold medal.

The 18-year-old Ahsan, who downed home player Ali Alobaidli 6-4 in the last-four clash, started str­o­ng and won the first frame 36-22 but the Cypriot quickly levelled the score with a break of 39.

The seesaw battle continued with Ahsan and Geo­rgiou exchanging lead.Ahsan regained the lead in the third frame with a 37-30 victory but the 35-year-old again, with a great break of 34, equalled the score.

Ahsan replied with a sublime break of his own and took the lead back with a 48-13 win before Georgiou levelled again with a 33-22 triumph in the next.

Ahsan struck back again with an impressive 50-12 victory in the seventh frame but it happened to be the last frame that he bagged in the match.

Georgiou then launched his decisive comeback as he secured the eight frame 47-06 and then the Cypriot took the lead for the first time in the match again with a brilliant break of 71 before wrapping up the triumph in the tenth frame 41-20.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2023