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KARACHI: Pakistan’s top two cueists Mohammad Asif and Sultan Mohammad featuring in the 28th Asian Snooker Championship in Doha have a slim chance of making it to the knockout stage from their respective groups when league matches conclude on Thursday.
National champion Asif conjured up a great 4-3 victory over Mubarak Alowis to take his winning tally to three from five outings. The highlight of the match was a fine break of 91 by Asif in the fourth frame. He was home 57-36, 67-66, 29-68, 95-26, 23-69, 34-65, 71-5.
He is drawn to meet Qatar’s Bashar Hussain Abdulmajid in the last group ‘A’ match on Thursday.
Aditya Mehta of India and Karam Fatima of Syria have emerged as strong contenders for making it to the next stage.
Meanwhile, Sultan who suffered humiliating 0-4 defeat at the hands of former world champion Pankaj Advani of India in group ‘C’ on Tuesday, sent Kuwait’s Ebrahim Alsharrah packing by the identical margin on Wednesday.
Pankaj displayed his acumen while registering an emphatic 59-16, 60-57, 89-8, 72-1 victory to keep his winning run intact.
China’s Rouzi Maimaiti is the other player in the group who has strengthened his chances for making it to the next stage.
Debutant Sultan beat Ebrahim 53-23, 57-43, 44-35, 56-36 to register third success from five games.
Sultan will be up against Qatar’s Mohsin Khamis in the last group fixture on Thursday.
Results:
Sultan Mohammad bt Ebrahim Alsharrah 4-0 (53-23, 57-43, 44-35, 56-36); Mohammad Asif bt Mubarak Alowis 4-3 (57-36, 67-66, 29-68, 95-26, 23-69, 34-65, 71-5); Sultan Mohammad lost to Pankhaj Advani 0-4 (16-59, 57-60, 8-89, 1-72).
