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COLOMBO: Pakistan’s experienced cueist Mohammad Asif saw his impressive run at the Asian 6-Red Ball Snooker Championship come to an end on Wednesday after a semi-final defeat against Malaysia’s Thor Chuan Leong.
Asif, a two-time IBSF World Champion, was beaten 5-2 in the last-four clash as Thor maintained control with a composed and clinical display to book his place in the final.
With Asif’s exit, Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament officially came to a close, as the veteran had been the country’s last remaining hope following earlier exits by Mohammad Sajjad and Awais Munir in the pre-quarterfinals.
Sajjad, a former world number two, suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of Singapore’s Sunny Wang, while Awais Munir lost 5-3 to Hong Kong’s Ming Wa Man.
Despite the semi-final loss, Asif’s overall campaign remained noteworthy. He began his tournament with a 4-1 win over Cambodia’s Neang Tola in the group stage, registering frame scores of 37-17, 47-0, 9-59, 44-0, and 39-9.
He then blanked Oman’s Abdullah Al Raisi 4-0 to cruise into the knockouts, before once again getting the better of Neang Tola, this time with a 5-1 victory in the pre-quarters.
In the quarter-final, Mohammad Asif got past Malaysia’s Lim Kok Leong with a hard-fought 5-3 win to book his place in the semis.
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