Asif set for tough challenge against Mubashir in NBP Ranking Snooker C'ship final

Resurgence of senior players and Former national champion Mohammad Asif and Mubashir Raza moved into final of the 11th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Ranking Snooker Championship at bank’s sports complex, Karachi. 

Former world champion Asif, whose national ranking has gone down to seventh, overcame stiff opposition before getting past Muhammad Ahsan Javaid to win the nerve-tingling encounter by six frames to five.

Asif fought gallantly and surged to a 2-0 lead before but Ahsan came back brightly to win the next two consecutive frame to equalize the lead. But a break of 67 by Ahsan in the third frame denied him success as Asif start playing aggressively to book berth into the final clash. In the process, Asif piled up two breaks of 87and 71.

Asif won 63-44, 87-1(87), 47-60, 0-94, 1-99(67), 70-26, 41-74, 71-35, 56-65, 56-47, 71-28(71).

Mubashir Raza faced little opposition while inflicting a 6-4 defeat on Muhammad Sajjad. Mubashir Raza put a shiny start but the lead change hands until it was four-all before Sajjad rounded off the match by mustering a break of 105.

Mubashir won ten0frame battle with the final score line of 55-39, 1-64, 63-49, 23-65, 73-61, 97-34(60), 4-129(105), 14-55, 71-32, 69-28.

The final, to be best-of-fifteen-frame encounters, will be played in the morning session, at 10 am, on Saturday (Tomorrow).

Chief guest NBP President Mr. Arif Usmani will grace the final prize distribution ceremony at 4:30 pm Sharp at NBP Sports Complex Clifton Karachi.