Sajjad crashes out of Asian Snooker Championship

 KARACHI: Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal  and Mohammad Bilal sailed into  the pre-quarter-finals but the  country’s premier cueistMohammad  Sajjad crashed out of ACBS  Asian Snooker Championship  2017 in Doha, Qatar,  onWednesday.  Therewill be at least one  Pakistani cueist in the quarter-  finals because Asjadwas  drawn to take on compatriot  Bilal in the pre-quarterfinal  late onWednesday evening.  Sajjad, Pakistan’s reigning national  champion and former  world number two, was edged  out by Mohammad Rais Senzahi  of Afghanistan who won the  tensely fought encounter 4-3with  the frame scores of 76-29, 52-44,  21-74, 4-74, 43-60, 53-13, 58-23.  The 31-year-old Sajjad  showed resilience by pulling it  back after losing the first couple  of frames. He turned it around  superbly to go 3-2 up by winning  three frames on a trot but hewas  found wanting in the last two  frames and it was all over for  him. Asjad, a promising youngster,  was on top of his game while  downing Li Yan of China 4-1with  the frame scores of 85-39, 67-39,  11-68, 67-36, 56-29.  The 25-year-old Asjad showed  no signs of nerves against his  Chinese opponent as hewas able  to dominate the game from the  outset.Hewon the first couple of  frames comfortably and clinched  another pair of frames after dropping  the third one.  Bilal, Pakistan’s national  champion last year, came  from behind to tame the  dangerous Thanawat  Tirapongpaiboon of Thailand  4-2 with the frame  scores of 39-77, 25-87, 69-36,  57-34, 75-6, 72-48.  He showed fierce determination  and maturity after being  overwhelmed in the first couple  of frames. He raised the bar to  topple his rampaging rival by  winning the next four frames in  succession.