Asif, Sajjad seal pre-quarterfinal spots at Asian six-red snooker championship

KARACHI: Pakistan’s cueists Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sajjad continued their impressive run at the Asian six-red Snooker Championship in Colombo on Monday, securing their spots in the pre-quarterfinals.

On the second day of the event, both players notched up convincing victories in the morning session to strengthen their positions in the tournament.

By winning two matches each in their respective groups, Asif and Sajjad have ensured qualification for the pre-quarterfinal stage.

In his morning match, Mohammad Asif comfortably defeated Oman’s Abdullah Al Raisi by 4-0, showcasing his experience and skill on the table.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Sajjad overcame Sri Lanka’s Mohammad Musharraf without dropping a single frame, sealing another dominant win.

Awais Munir, who won both his matches on the opening day, will play his final group match today against India’s Pushpinder Singh.

Asif and Sajjad are also scheduled to play their last group matches in the evening session, aiming to top their respective groups ahead of the knockout stage.

It is pertinent to mention that defending champion Awais Munir of Pakistan made a strong start to his title defence at the marquee event, registering two impressive victories on the opening day—including a maximum break of 75—to qualify for the pre-quarterfinals.

Munir, who won two of his three group-stage matches, was joined in the winners' column by compatriots Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Sajjad, who also secured convincing wins on the opening day of the tournament.

In his Group A opener, Munir overcame Macau’s Chi Kin Chan 4-2, with frame scores of 1-53, 41-11, 38-6, 9-38, 49-0, and 57-0. He clinched the final frame with a 52-point break to seal the victory.

He followed it up with a dominant performance against Bangladesh’s Ziaur Rahman Azad, where he recorded a maximum 75-point break. The frame scores were 65-0, 47-17, 59-8, and 75-0.

Meanwhile, IBSF World Champion Muhammad Asif kicked off his campaign with a 4-1 win over Cambodia’s Neang Tola, posting frame scores of 37-17, 47-0, 9-59, 44-0, and 39-9.

Muhammad Sajjad also delivered a commanding display, whitewashing Bahrain’s Khalil Busaif 4-0 with frame scores of 46-15, 34-21, 48-17, and 46-13.

For the unversed, Munir recently won the Asian Six-Red Snooker Championship held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on July 2, 2024, after defeating Hong Kong’s Nansen Wan.

Munir secured a 6-3 victory, with the match tied at 2-2 before he won three consecutive frames to take a commanding 5-2 lead.

Although Nansen staged a brief comeback in the eighth frame, Munir demonstrated excellent control and potting in the ninth to clinch the title. The final frame scores were: 0-65, 35-26, 27-36, 38-20, 0-65, 13-46, 8-60, 34-0, 27-40.