Asif lifts Ranking Snooker title

KARACHI M Asif overran an out-of-form opponent in the final to clinch the Del Monte Ranking Snooker crown defeating Sharjeel Mahmood of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by seven frames to two here at South End Club on Sunday. The best of 13 frames final which was expected to be a closely and thrilling encounter shockingly became just one-sided affair when the Punjab player remained unchallenged in the title fight taking it 99-24, 83-35, 65-50, 73-29, 97-22, 42-78, 63-39, 51-77, 107-1. The title contest was to be played as best of 15 frames but on the request of the TV channel covering the final live, the contest was cut to best of 13 frames because the channel had to cut his coverage as it was overlapping the live coverage of another sporting event elsewhere. Managing Director Del Monte Pakistan Anjum Nisar, PBSA president Alamgir Shaikh and PBSA secretary Munawar Shaikh witnessed the final at a new venue. Sharjeel Mahmood, who had defeated top star M Sajjad by six frames to three in the second semi-final on late Saturday night, looked totally out-of-touch when the final began on Sunday morning. He went into huge five frames to nil deficits as his final foe Asif took the frames without being challenged seriously. The final scores, however, do not truly reflect the potential of the KP player who is far better performer than what the frame score suggest. However, conceding initial five frames upset him and he crumbled under pressure of big deficit. Asif could have easily won the final without conceding any frames but the KP player clinched his first win in the sixth frame to narrow the frame margin to 5-1. Asif after winning the 6th frame was only a frame away from the title when KP player once again pinched a frame taking the eighth frame but that was the best he could do as Asif with a flurry of good potting took the ninth frame registering a break of 107.