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.
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