DOHA: Asjad Iqbal led Pakistan’s charge at the IBSF World Snooker Championship, securing a direct spot in the pre-quarterfinals after an impressive group stage performance on Monday.

In the league matches, Asjad dominated Qatar’s Khamis Alobaidli 4-0, cementing his position at the top of his group.

Awaisullah Muneer and Muhammad Asif, however, finished second in their respective groups and were relegated to the last-24 round.

Before bowing out, Awaisullah, 31, beat Bahrain’s Habib Sabah 4-1, compiling breaks of 94 and 85.

Mohammad Naseem Akhtar narrowly lost to Latvia’s Rodion Judin 4-3.

Asif, the two-time amateur world champion, suffered a 4-3 defeat to Germany’s Simon Lichtenberg.

Asif took a three-frame lead with breaks of 51, 56 and 128, but the German staged a fine comeback to win four frames on the trot and clinched the match.

In the last-24 round, Asif bounced back with a 4-1 win over Qatar’s Ali Alobaidli, including a century break (102). However, Awaisullah’s campaign ended with a 4-3 loss to Michel Geogriou of Cyprus.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024