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COLOMBO: Pakistan’s veteran cueist Mohammad Asif stormed into the quarterfinals of the Asian 6-Red Ball Championship with a dominant 5-1 win over Cambodia’s Neang Tola here on Tuesday.
The two-time IBSF world champion shook off a sluggish start after dropping the first frame 27-16 but bounced back in clinical fashion, winning five frames on the trot to seal the pre-quarterfinal with ease.
The frame-wise scores were: 16-27, 48-25, 35-32, 52-9, 43-35, and 40-10.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s other cueists faltered in the knockout stage. Awais Munir lost 5-3 to Hong Kong’s Ming Wa Man, while former IBSF World No.2 Mohammad Sajjad was blanked 5-0 by Singapore’s Sunny Wang.
Mohammad Asif, who has looked in supreme touch throughout the tournament, will now take on Malaysia’s Lim Kok Leong in the quarterfinals later today.
Notably, Asif launched his Asian 6-Red Ball Championship campaign with a decisive 4-1 victory, also against Cambodia’s Neang Tola, during the group stage.
The match showcased his remarkable skill, with frame scores that illustrated his dominance: he secured wins of 37-17, 47-0, 9-59, 44-0, and 39-9, each displaying a blend of precision and strategy.
Following this impressive opening, Asif continued his strong performance by advancing to the knockout stages after a commanding 4-0 triumph over Oman’s Abdullah Al Raisi.
It is worth noting that the seasoned cueist lifted the 3rd SAARC Snooker Championship title earlier this year in Colombo, where he didn’t drop a single frame in the final against Sri Lanka’s Thaha Irshath.
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