NBP Ranking Snooker Championship move into pre-Quarterfinal stage

On day four league matches six cueists, including three outsiders, sneaked into the last-16 of 10th National Bank of Pakistan ranking snooker championship at the bank’s sports complex. 

The seeded trio who crossed first hurdle includes top seed Mohammad Asif (A), eighth seed Zulfiqar A. Qadir (H) and 10th seed and defending champion Asjad Iqbal (G).

The three outsiders who were through to the knockout stage are junior Mohammad Shahbaz (D), former national champion Mohammad Asif Toba (F) and Sharjeel Mehmood (H).

Top seeded Muhammad Asif has booked his place in the pre-quarters from the Group A, heading it with three successive victories. Agha Bilawal, Rashid Mahmood Abbasi, Sirbuland Khan and Ian Mark John have a chance of taking the runner-up spot going into the final day of league matches.

Both the knockout slots are up for the grabs in the Group B, C and E. With three straight victories, second seed Muhammad Bilal is the favourite to top the Group B where the experienced trio of Khurram Hussain Agha, Shahid Aftab and Muhammad Sajjad is battling out for the runner-up slot.

After losing to Shahid Aftab and Mohammad Bilal, the former IBSF world championship runner-up Mohammad Sajjad, who is lacking form, notched up his first victory when he recovered to beat Shaikh M. Mudassir in the fully stretched battle 4-3 the scores being 0-111, 47-62, 55-26, 81-9, 33-76, 77-4, 71-0.

Mudassir, however, stole limelight by slamming a century break of 111 in the first frame.

The preliminary round matches of the event, being contested by 40 cueists, will conclude on Thursday (today) at the end of which the top two performers from each group will advance to the knockout rounds starting on Friday (tomorrow).

Day 4th Results:

Umair Alam (Sindh) bt Mohammad Faizan (Sindh) 4-1 (56-9, 62-26, 58-18, 33-67, 60-14);

Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab) bt Abdullah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-1 (50-61, 67-11, 60-36, 55-23, 75-13);

Abdul Javaid (Punjab) bt Haris Tahir (Punjab) 4-2 (16-62, 8-57, 63-31, 66-48, 72-53, 74-48);

Sharjeel Mehmood (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Usman Ahmad (Punjab) 4-2 (68-0, 53-11, 52-79, 43-65, 73-31, 91-8);

 Ian Mark John (Sindh) bt Sirbuland Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-2 (37-58, 9-74, 76-43, 78-30, 72-46, 61-13);

Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) bt Shaikh M. Mudassir (Punjab) 4-3 (0-111, 47-62, 55-26, 81-9, 33-76, 77-4, 71-0);

Imran Shehzad (Pjunba) bt Mohammad Umar (Punjab) 4-1 (64-19, 75-6, 80-45, 60-71, 72-42);

Mohammad Shahbaz (Punjab) bt Musaddiq Mehmood (Islamabad) 4-3 (117-5, 55-57, 35-57, 65-50, 78-44, 30-78, 53-37);

Aakash Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Mohammad Imran (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 4-0 (56-12, 70-46, 67-27, 72-9);

Rambel Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab) 4-2 (99-2, 84-30, 66-40, 24-86, 22-61, 50-41);

Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) bt Mubashir Raza (Punjab) 4-2 (40-80, 74-55, 39-96, 61-51, 75-30, 67-30);

Farhan Noor (Punjab) bt Abdul Sattar (Sindh) 4-2 (72-17, 67-41, 24-73, 38-62, 66-40, 62-50);

Rashid Mehmood Abbasi (Islamabad) bt Agha Bilawal (Sindh) 4-3 (63-44, 61-0, 71-42, 41-85, 42-61, 25-69, 63-38);

Khurram H. Agha (Sindh) bt Shahid Aftab (Punjab) 4-2 (68-9, 30-79, 65-40, 71-35, 14-79, 54-10);

Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) bt Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) 4-3 (11-77, 53-67, 90-22, 46-19, 60-10, 54-62, 95-43).

Thursday’s fixtures:

At 10am:

Mohammad Imran (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) v Mohammad Faizan (Sindh);

Rambel Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) v Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab);

Mubashir Raza (Punjab) v Haris Tahir (Punjab);

Farhan Noor (Punjab) v Usman Ahmad (Punjab).

At 12noon:

Rashid Mehmood Abbasi (Islamabad) v Ian Mark John (Sindh);

Khurram H. Agha (Sindh) v Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab);

Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) v Mohammad Umar (Punjab);

Amir Sohail (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) v Musaddiq Mehmood (Islamabad).

At 2pm:

Mohammad Ahsan Javaid (Punjab) v Aakash Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa);

Sultan Mohammad (Sindh) v Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab);

Ali Haider (Punjab) v Asjad Iqbal (Punjab); Zulfiqar A. Qadir (Sindh) v Abdul Sattar (Sindh).

At 4pm:

Mohammad Asif (Punjab) v Agha Bilawal (Sindh);

Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) v Shahid Aftab (Punjab);

Babar Masih (Punjab) v Sohail Shehzad (Sindh);

Mohammad Majid Ali (Punjab) v Qadeer Abbas (Punjab).