DOHA: Pakistani players made a strong impression as the trio recorded convincing win on the opening day of the ACBS Asian Men’s Snooker Championship in Doha on Saturday.

Shahid Aftab, the current national champion, set the tone with a convincing 4-1 [44-72, 68-09, 60-22, 82-31, 100(61)-28] win over Bangladesh’s Shuvo Biswas.

Shahid dropped the first frame but bounced back to take the next four, sealing the win with a century break of 100 in the fifth frame.

Reigning amateur world champion Mohammad Asif was equally impressive, whitewashing Ahmed Jabhan of Yemen 4-0 [122(51)-2, 65(65)-3, 51-15, 54-21].

Asif dominated the match, compiling breaks of 51 and 65 in the first and second frames and never looking back.

Mohammad Sajjad also made a winning start, defeating Jordan’s Sharaf Al Maytah 4-1 [54-45, 107(91)-25, 16-64, 59-57, 80-13].

Sajjad was in top form, crafting a break of 91 in the second frame to take control of the match.

The players have been divided into 11 groups, with the top two players from each group advancing to the knockout stage.

The top ten players in the standings will earn direct qualification to the pre-quarterfinals, while the next 12 players will compete in an additional round to determine the final spots in the last 22.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2025