KARACHI: Pakistan No 1 Imran Shahzad and reigning national champion Shahid Aftab, both from Punjab, lived up to their top billing by clearing the hurdles in their way and were joined by two outsiders as the third ranking snooker championship entered semi-final stage at Karachi Gymkhana on Thursday.
Imran, who made a 5-1 short work of fourth seed Mohammad Asif in the pre quarter-finals the other day, stormed back from two frames down to register 5-3 victory over sixth ranked Abdul Sattar of Sindh.
After conceding the first and second frames 22-68 and 38-74, Imran came into rhythm taking the next four frames 69-25, 68-52, 64-5 and 75-22 to surge 4-2 in the best of nine frames quarter-final. Imran again dropped the seventh frame 2-62 only to bounce back with 48-2 win to wrap up the match.
Imran scored just one break of 56 in the third frame while Sattar cracked two, 63 in the opener and 44 in the seventh frame.
“I’m feeling better now but still undergoing various blood tests for dengue epidemic,” he told Dawn from the Aga Khan laboratory where he had gone to collect his platelets report.Imran is drawn to meet Shahid in the best of 11 frames second semi-final on Friday.
Shahid, who shocked former Asian No 2 Mohammad Sajjad 5-2 in last 16 round, kept his chances alive with an emphatic 5-2 victory over fifth ranked Sultan Mohammad of Sindh.
Shahid, who topped the national ranking after capturing the title of country’s premier snooker championship earlier this year and slipped to 10th on completion of NBP Cup, set the tempo right from start earning a commendable 4-0 lead. He dropped the next two frames due to lack of concentration and recovered to round up the match by grabbing the seventh. The scores were 68-31, 66-43, 57-11, 71-47, 0-96, 14-71, 63-26.
Former Pakistan No 1 Khurram Agha of Sindh, who is trailing at 30th NR, fought tooth and nail to rout Sharjeel Mehmood of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5-4 in the only battle that went to full distance.
Khurram, 34, also a former Asian No 3, recovered from 2-3 down to inflict 68-23, 54-46, 33-72, 35-80, 7-48, 76-41, 39-73, 78-45, 81-44 victory over his opponent.
Khurram meets Punjab’s M. Asif Toba in the first semi-final after the latter brushed aside province mate and former national junior champion, Asjad Iqbal, 5-1 the scores being 76-46, 72-66, 46-38, 71-47, 5-82, 67-48.
Results:Quarter-finals:Khurram H. Agha (Sindh) bt Sharjeel Mehmood (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 5-4 (68-23, 54-46, 33-72, 35-80, 7-48, 76-41, 39-73, 78-45, 81-44); M. Asif Toba (Punjab) bt Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 5-1 (76-46, 72-66, 46-38, 71-47, 5-82, 67-48); Imran Shahzad (Punjab) bt Abdul Sattar (Sindh) 5-3 (22-68, 38-74, 69-25, 68-52, 64-5, 75-22, 2-62, 48-2); Shahid Aftab (Punjab) bt Sultan Mohammad (Sindh) 5-2 (68-31, 66-43, 57-11, 71-47, 0-96, 14-71, 63-26).
Friday’s fixtures:Semi-finals:At 9am: Khurram H. Agha v M. Asif Toba.
At 1pm: Imran Shahzad v Shahid Aftab.