Imran wins masters snooker title

KARACHI: Imran Shahzad of Punjab won the inaugural Jubilee Insurance National Masters Snooker Championship 2017 by edging out Shah Khan of Khyber Pakthunkhwa in the final at the Champions Snooker Academy in Johar Town, Lahore, on Thursday.

According to the details made available by the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Imran, the local hero, came from behind to tame Shah, hailing from Peshawar, 6-4 in the grueling best-of-11-frame contest with the scores of  21-85, 15-65, 82-11, 8-81, 54-66, 58-53, 73-17, 51-43, 64-53, 57-51.

Shah was off to a flying start, winning the first couple of frames rather leisurely.

He also chalked up a break of 54 in the second frame to stun his fancied opponent.

Imran bounced back with a break of 68 in the third frame to reduce the deficit but there were signs of concern on his face when Shah, firing a break of 50 in the fourth frame, also took the fifth one to move 4-1 up.

Imran was fortunate to win the fiercely-fought sixth frame but he was near the top of his game in the seventh frame.

Shah refused to give up and tough fight ensued in the last three frames as well.

Imran’s greater experience of handling crunch situations like this proved decisive.

Imran and Shah had reached the final after overpowering big guns in the semi-finals.

Imran defeated great Mohammad Yousuf, the only Pakistani to have won the World Masters title, Shah turned the tables on Khurram Hussain Agha, who remained Pakistan’s top ranked cueist for the better part of the past decade.