Mixed fortunes for Pakistan in World Snooker

LAHORE: Pakistan had mixed fortunes in IBSF World Snooker Championship in Doha on Sunday.

South Korea’s Yongjun Park defeated Pakistan’s Awais Muneer 4-0.

Park set the tone early, winning the first frame 76-26, and continued to outplay Muneer in subsequent frames, finishing with scores of 85-16 and 73-15. Despite Muneer’s brief surge in the second frame, where he managed a 102-point game, he couldn’t secure a win.

Iran’s Tirdad Azadipour edged out Pakistan’s Naseem Akhtar 4-3 in one of the most intense matches of the day. Akhtar initially took the lead, winning the first two frames (63-60, 91-17), including an impressive 90-point break in the second frame.

However, Azadipour mounted a strong comeback, winning the next three frames, with scores that included a notable 52-point break in the fifth. Akhtar managed to reclaim the sixth frame but eventually fell in a nail-biting final frame, which ended 66-46 in Azadipour’s favour. Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal delivered a solid performance, defeating Iran’s Milad Fathpour Kashani with a 4-2 scoreline. Iqbal took an early lead, winning the first two frames (61-05, 97-09). Kashani fought back in the third and fifth frames with a resilient 51-point break in the third. However, Iqbal sealed his victory with a final frame score of 51-24, demonstrating his skill and composure under pressure.

In another close contest, England’s Harvey Chandler narrowly defeated Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif 4-3.