Sajjad, Asif out of Asian Men snooker

KARACHI: Pakistan’s hopes of recapturing the continental crown were dashed by Amir Sarkhosh of Iran who knocked over Muhammad Sajjad and Muhammad Asif in quarter-finals and semifinals, respectively, of the 37th ACBS Asian Men Snooker Championship 2022 at Doha on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s third cueist, the 16-year old Ahsan Ramzan who had stunned everyone by winning the World Championship at the same venue just a few days ago, had earlier been eliminated by Ishpreet Singh Chadha of India in pre-quarter-finals.

With all three Pakistani cueists having crashed in the knockout rounds, now the final will be contested between Sarkhosh and Chadha on Wednesday (today).

Sarkhosh, who was at the receiving end at the hands of Pakistan’s young sensation Ahsan Ramzan in the final of the World Championship, avenged the defeat by whipping two-times world champion Asif 5-2 in what turned out to be a one-sided semifinal as the Iranian craftsman called the shots and didn’t repeat the mistake of playing defensively which cost him the world title less than a week ago.

Playing with purpose and determination, Sarkosh was even more ruthless while smashing Sajjad earlier in the day in quarter-finals in straight frames with the scores of 101-0, 73-29, 72-42, 67-1.

Asif, however, had prevailed over Habib Sabah of Bahrain in the other quarter-final, blasting him 4-1 with the frame scores of 68-22, 22-78, 76-5, 67-11, 72-9.