Babar Masih beat Asif 8-5 to claim Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship title

Babar Masih claims second Ranking Snooker Championship title by defeating unseeded Asif Toba by 8-5 frames in Jubilee Insurance 3rd Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 at Karachi Gymkhana. 

The Rawalpindi-based cueist Babar Masih had previously toppled Top seed Muhammad Asif in an exciting semi-final by 6-5.

In the first frame, unseeded cueist from Punjab Asif Toba, showed great fighting spirit as the former champion Baber Masih faced some anxious moments as he pocket cue ball while attempting for brown which cost him a frame. Asif comfortably took the opening lead to won the frame by 82-44.

In the toughest second frame Asif Toba broke the second frame and led with 51-6. Both gave hard time to each other as Asif broke 63 points to further enhance the lead by 2-0 with the score of 69-51.

Earlier, on the second day of championship Asif Toba break the century by scoring 115 points against Agha Bilawal of Sindh in the Group A clash.

In the third frame, Babar, who is playing the final for the second time, staged a magnificent comeback to make it 2-1 with the final score of 63-48.

Babar continue to play aggressively in the fourth frame as he break a century to equalized the lead at 2-2 by 114-16 points.

Earlier, Babar Masih break the century by scoring 104 points against Akash Rafique on day-4.

In the Fourth frame, Ijaz got off to a bright start with a 39 point break. Babar then came back strongly and cleaned the table with a break of 81 points to win the frame 93-39.

Toba break the fifth cluster where Babar played confidently as he gave is 100% potential to break 91 points by completing clean the table at 91-19.

In the sixth frame, where Asif was out of rhytm as he potted cue ball which leveled the score at 13-13.Babar continued to playing confidently as Asif concealed at 62-20 when six balls lefts on the table.

In the seventh frame, Asif played skilfully despite being 2-4 down against an established opponent but former National champion 2014 Asif Toba persisted to win the frame 98-9 with a break of 73 points.

Asif equalized lead at 4-4 as he won the eighth frame with a score of 60-16 as Babar conceded when all colored balls remaining unspotted.

Babar maintained his good form as he break third century in the ninth frame of the final clash as he broke 110 points at 1-8 to enhance the lead by 5-4.

Starting afresh, Asif came back strongly to win a one sided tenth frame with the scores of 88-26 to equitized the lead at 5-5.

In the tough fight of eleventh frame where both tried hard to take the commanding position at 27-21 the Babar played marvelously as he broke 86 points to make it 27-107 and recovered the lead by 6-5. 

Babar won the twelve frame as Asif conceded 62-35 when only 18 points left on the table.

At 5-7, Babar Masih continued to dominate play as he won the frame at 53-7 and the title by defeating unseeded Asif Toba by 8-5 frames in Jubilee Insurance 3rd Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 at Karachi Gymkhana.

Now Babar and Asif will represent Pakistan in the IBSF World Snooker Championship to be staged in Myanmar this year.

Babar earned a purse of Rs1,00,000 and winning trophy while Toba received Rs40,000 and runner-up trophy from the chief guest managing director of Jubilee Insurance Tahir Ahmed.

Mohammad Majid Ali fetched Rs5,000 for highest break of 118 from Karachi Gymkhana president Akbar Iqbal Puri.

Speaking on the occasion, Tahir Ahmed commended the performance of Babar and Toba and at the same time assured full support if the games controlling body launch under-15 and ladies snooker events in future.

Also present on the occasion were the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) officials president Munawwar Hussain Shaikh, vice-president Abdul Qadir Memon, secretary Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi, managing committee members Shariq Vohra, Abdul Rasheed Lehra and former president PBSF Alamgir Shaikh.

Final result:

44-82, 51-69, 63-48, 114-16, 102-19, 65-20, 9-98, 16-60, 111-8, 26-88, 107-27, 62-35, 52-7.