KARACHI, Feb 12: Punjab's Saqib Butt, kept his chances very much alive of reaching the last 16 in the 29th National Snooker Championship, when he toppled sixth seed Atiq Latif Bux 4-3, on Thursday at the Karachi Club.
The young man from Lahore yet to be beaten after four matches, perched himself happily on top of Group H with this victory. Playing attacking snooker, Saqib stunned the audience by winning the first three frames, running up a comfortable 3-0 lead. Atiq realising that he was sinking fast fought back magnificently levelling the frame scores 3-3, picking up the next three frames.
Atiq was now well poised to win the match and retain his unbeaten run. But it was not to be. Saqib reserved his best for the final frame and potting everything in sight, grabbed the final frame 71/0 and the match.
Atiq, however, has booked his place in the last 16, when he will be awarded a walk- over against Lahore's Faiq Malik, who never turned up for the tournament.
Another surprise was in store, when ninth seed Vishan Gir surrendered meekly to Shakir Rafiq, leaving Group H wide open. Comfortably placed on top till Wednesday night, Vishan lost 4-0 and now has to beat the eighth seed Shakeel Bhatti, who lost is fourth match on the trot going down this time to Masood Ahmed 4-0.
Shakir with a match in hand is plus six in front, ahead of Vishan plus three, Punjab Cup qualifier Shehram Changezi plus two and Nauman Awan plus one. All four players are engaged in their last qualifying matches on Friday and only time will tell which two from the four will reach the last 16.
In a match that went the full distance, Abu Saim got his game in motion beating Mohammad Amin in a crucial encounter in Group D after being in the doldrums trailing 1-3.
Knowing quite well that he was sinking fast, Abu in a last desperate bid, pocketed the next three frames and the match and has qualified for the last 16 along with Mohammad Yousuf who held of the spirited challenge of Raees Khan 4-1, although he meets Yousuf in is last qualifying match.
Trailing 1-3, Raees fighting back had the former world champion on the ropes leading 52/29 with one red and the coloured balls to pot. But displaying champion material, Yousuf after being snookered behind the pink, sunk the red with green and clearing the table came through a 60/52 winner in the final frame. Yousuf had two fines breaks of 60 and 72.
Top seed Khurram Agha was also through to the knock out rounds, disposing off Hanif M. Bux 4-0 and will be joined by Punjab's Imran Mughal, a 4-2 conqueror over M. Jamshed. The two will decide the winner in Group A on Thursday.
Second seed Saleh Mohammad had an easy 4-0 triumph over Shahdab Baig. Shah Khan will join Saleh in the last 16, ending the pretensions of Sindh Cup qualifier Danish Karim, who gave a good account of himself considering he is playing in his first ranking tournament.
Third seed Naveen Perwani disposed off dangerman Mohammad Akhlas 4-2, and although both have to play one more match, it looks certain that both will be in the last 16 from Group C.
Fifth seed Farhan Mirza had a walk-over on Wednesday against Ahmer Shaikh pushing him closer to the qualifying rounds from Group E. Seventh seed Imran Shehzad kept up is winning spree beating Mohammad Asif 4-1.
Flamboyant Amit Parwani with breaks of 61, 31 and 34, beat off the challenge of Sindh Cup runner-up Sohail Shehzad and seems certain to join Imran in the last 16 from Group G.
In other matches played M. Nazir beat Kashif Khan 4-2 and Rambel Gul, in a last desperate bid to reach the knock out stage beat Aamir Samdani 4-3.
Results:
Shakir Rafiq bt Vishan Gir 4-0: 70/14, 76/24, 52/38, 61/20. M. Nazir bt Kashif Khan 4-2: 70/10, 67/45, 64/35, 14/62, 14/61, 76/7. Amit Parwani bt Sohail Shehzad 4-1: 22/62, 51/27, 72/23,85/18, 77/60. Abu Saim bt Mohammad Amin 4-3: 23/59, 31/70, 62/14, 33/57, 67/9, 63/25, 71/33. Imran Mughal bt M. Jamshed 4-2: 38/61, 82/36, 21/64, 66/46, 67/51, 59/8. Shah Khan bt Danish Karim 4-2: 46/61, 50/61, 67/58, 48/5, 71/30, 65/32. Rambel Gul bt Aamir Samdani 4-3: 37/65, 53/13, 67/18, 47/74, 34/69, 71/41, 65/33. Masood Ahmed bt Shakeel Bhatti 4-0: 58/38, 65/39, 54/43, 56/30. Saqib Butt bt Atiq Latif Bux 4-3: 71/49, 64/50, 57/46, 47/75, 33/72, 44/58. 71/1. Imran Shehzad bt Mohammad Asif 4-1: 71/10, 112/22, 65/41, 42/59, 61/16. Mohammad Yousuf bt Raees Khan 4-1: 44/52, 81/16, 76/7, 63/51, 60/52. Khurram Agha bt Hanif M. Bux 4-0 : 83/23, 71/28, 107/4, 64/50. Saleh Mohammad bt Shadab Baig 4-0: 64/26, 74/33, 61/38, 76/47. Naveen Perwani bt Mohammad Akhlas 4-2: 70/43, 62/72, 81/26, 50/57, 74/14, 73/1. Farrukh Usman w/o Faiq Malik. Farhan Mirza w/o Ahmer Shaikh.