Pakistan crush India to reach Team Snooker World Cup final

KARACHI: Pakistan's experienced duo Muhammad Asif and Asjad Iqbal registered a 3-1 victory over India's Pankaj Advani and Brijesh Damani in the semi-final of the Team Snooker World Cup at the Active Oman Sports and Entertainment Hub in Muscat on Saturday.

Pakistan team got off to a contrasting start to the knockout fixture as India's Advani outclassed Asjad by 85-21 in the opening frame to give his team an early 1-0 lead.

Reigning IBSF world champion Asif then forced Pakistan's comeback as he handed Damani a gruelling 120-23 thrashing in the second frame, courtesy of a 77-point break.

With the scoreboard levelled at 1-1, the two teams then locked horns in a double frame, which Pakistan clinched comprehensively by 75-47 to secure the lead.

In the next frame, Asif continued his dominance and humbled Advani 73-9 to power Pakistan to an unassailable 3-1 lead and thus, the final frame, set to be contested between Asjad and Damani, was called off.

For the unversed, Pakistan had booked their spot in the semi-final earlier today by outclassing Qatar 3-0 in a one-sided quarter-final.

In the opening frame, Asjad registered a 92-point break to down Qatar's Ali Alobaidli 92-43.

Asif then inflicted an equally crushing defeat on Ahmed Saif, clinching the second frame 83-0 on the back of a 62-point break to bolster Pakistan's lead to 2-0.

The duo carried their respective momentum into the doubles frame and secured it by 79-26 to round up a perfect 3-0 victory.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will face Hong Kong China 2 in the final.