Naseem, Shahbaz cruise to U21 snooker decider

ISLAMABAD: IBSF World Under-18 Snooker Champion Muhammad Naseem Akhtar and Muhammad Shahbaz (both from Punjab) Thursday qualified for the final of Jubilee Insurance 10th National Junior Under-21 Snooker Championship following the semi-finals played here at the PSB Billiards & Snooker Hall.

Highlight of the day was superb performance by Naseem as he made the highest break of 111 in the quarter-final against Ali Zaman Khan (Sindh) besides three half-century breaks of 93, 72 and 52 in the semi-final against Haris Tahir (Punjab).

Naseem faced no difficulty in overcoming last year’s runner-up Haris 5-2 in the first semi-final. The first semi-final score was 72-17 (72), 93-02 (93), 05-80, 62-14, 66-39 (52), 42-66 and 57-45.

The second semi-final between Usman Ahmed and Muhammad Shahbaz (both from Punjab) was a treat to watch. Shahbaz won the marathon semi-final with a score of 5-4 (60-23, 60-32, 60-16, 50-08, 22-55, 28-68, 12-58, 14-71, 51-16). The match lasted for four hours.

The winner of the championship will get the honour to represent Pakistan in the Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship in March in Myanmar and the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship to be held in July in China.

The final of the event will be played today (Friday) with Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada as the guest of honour.

Results: Quarter-finals: Usman Ahmed (Pjb) bt Shaikh Muddassir (Pjb) 4-1 (63-58, 67-21, 59-09(51), 57-73, 68-10(52); Muhammad Shahbaz (Pjb) bt Raees Ali Usama (Pjb) 4-3 (49-51, 57-18, 08-102(70), 82-14(51), 64-02, 12-45, 62-52); Muhammad Naseem Akhtar (Pjb) bt Ali Zaman Khan (Sindh) 4-0 (58-17, 51-25, 115-08(111), 65-13); Haris Tahir (Pjb) bt Umar Khan (Pjb) 4-3(19-63, 33-70, 72-64, 77-49(61), 73-60, 33-61, 78-53).

Semi-finals: Muhammad Shahbaz (Pjb) bt Usman Ahmed (Pjb) 5-4 (60-23, 60-32, 60-16, 50-08, 22-55, 28-68, 12-58, 14-71, 51-16); Muhammad Naseem Akhtar (Pjb) bt Haris Tahir (Pjb) 5-2 (72-17(72), 93-02(93), 05-80, 62-41, 66-39(52), 42-66, 57-45).