DUBAI, May 9: Pakistan’s Khurram Agha and Mohammad Sajjad bowed out of the 24th Asian snooker championship after losing their respective quarter-finals at the Dubai Police Officers Club Hall here on Thursday evening.

Khurram fought gallantly before going 3-5 down against Jin Long of China.

He put up a brave fight after conceding 0-3 lead to Jin Long who made break of 74 in the second frame.

Khurram took the fourth frame with a brilliant break of 62 which saw him reducing the deficit.

Jin Long posted a break of 74 in the sixth frame to consolidate his position.

Khurram bounced back in the match added with a neatly carved out clearance of 79 to make it 3-4.

The Chinese, however, stopped Khurram by picking the eighth frame 76-27 to qualify for the semi-final.

Mohammad Sajjad showing fighting qualities against Aditya Mehta of India missed a crucial green in the eighth frame before making his exit after a 3-5 defeat.

Like Khurram, Sajjad staged a magnificent recovery from 1-3 down to level it 3-3.

But Aditya kept his nerves to win the next frame to enter the semi-final.

Sajjad was heading to grab the exciting eighth frame after a break of 19 but failed to pot a green ball in the top pocket to give the Indian advantage.

Aditya potted the green, brown, blue, pink and black ball to emerge as the winner.

Pankaj Advani of India also cruised into the semi-finals. He showed his class after Bulajaing of China gained 3-1 lead.

Bulajaing got off to sterling with clearance of 113 in the opening frame and also picked the second.

Pankaj pulled back the third before the Chinese took control by grabbing the fourth frame.

The Indian played a break of 119 and made it 3-3 by winning the next frame.

The mounting pressure saw Bulajaing making crucial missing in the eighth frame which allowed Pankaj to gain 4-3 lead and he sealed the fate of the quarter-final by seizing the final frame 112-13 that included a break of 86.

Keen Moh Hoo of Malaysia beat Hong Kong’s Fung Kowk Wai 5-2 after the match was tied at 2-2.

Results (quarter-finals):

Jin Long (China) bt Khurram Agha (Pakistan) 48-58, 07-74, 61-68, 84-52, 01-87, 79-0, 76-27; Aditya Mehta (India) bt Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan) 05-58, 73-10, 119-01, 62-01, 78-13, 109-04, 64-51, 44-76; Pankaj Advani (India) bt A. Bulajaing (China) 0-113, 20-72, 73-07, 34-64, 125-0, 74-07, 72-29, 112-13; ,Moh Keen Hoo (Malaysia) bt Fund Kowk Wai (Hong Kong) 79-09, 10-56, 32-92, 85-35, 51-09, 62-21.—APP