Asif headlines pre-quarter-finals lineup at All Pakistan Snooker Championship
Pre-quarter-final matches scheduled to be played on Saturday as all top seeds reach knockout stage
KARACHI: Former world champion Mohammad Asif continued his impressive run at the inaugural Ali Asghar Valika All Pakistan Snooker Championship by registering his third successive victory to qualify for the pre-quarter-finals after the league stage concluded on Friday.
The tournament, organised by World Home Snooker at Naya Nazimabad, completed its league phase on the second day, with all top-seeded cueists progressing to the knockout stage.
Asif also compiled his second century break of the tournament, underlining his fine form ahead of the knockout rounds.
Former world champion Mohammad Yousuf also booked his place in the pre-quarter-finals after edging Balochistan's Ghulam Abbas 3-2 in an entertaining contest.
Former national champion Mohammad Sajjad, Asjad Iqbal, Rana Aftab, Mohammad Faizan, Ali Hamza Akbar, Mubashir Raza and Abdul Sattar were also among the players to advance to the last 16.
The pre-quarter-final matches are scheduled to be played on Saturday.
In another league-stage fixture on Friday, Sindh's Khizar Aziz defeated fellow provincial cueist Umar Amin 3-2 to progress to the knockout stage.
For the unversed, the Snooker hall, named after the late Asghar Valika, who is widely known as the father of Pakistan snooker, was inaugurated by Asif, who was accompanied by fellow national cueists Asjad and Hasnain, while former champion Yousuf was also present at the glittering ceremony in November last year.
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