DOHA: Pakistan’s Awaisullah Munir registered a thumping 4-1 win against Amir Sarkhosh of Iran to reach the ACBS Asian Men Snooker Championship final at Doha.
Awaisullah — who earlier defeated Milad Fathpour, also from Iran with a identical 4-1 scoreline in the quarter-final — won the first frame 57-36 before the Iranian cueist claimed one back to level the score.
After that Awaisullah secured three consecutive frames 75-15, 67-47, 69-32, bringing him one step closer to the championship title.
Earlier Pakistan’s other cueist Mohammad Naseem Akhtar fall to a narrow 4-3 defeat against home player Ali Alobaidli of Qatar.
It seemed that Naseem will comfortably emerge victorious and move into the semi-finals when he went 3-0 up [61-52, 64-07, 77-02(62)] and was only one frame away from the triumph.
But the frame never happened as Alobaidli averted the disaster and launched a remarkable comeback to secure four back-to-back frames [91-08, 79-16(71), 66-28, 69-19] and a remarkable victory.
The final, set for Friday, will see Awaisullah competing against the winner of Alobaidli and Ali Gharahgozlou.
Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2024
