Pakistan’s Asif marches into IBSF World Snooker final

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif qualified on Friday for the final of IBSF World Snooker Championship, beating Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn in the semi final.

The number one cueist from Pakistan made his Thai opponent look helpless from the first frame and kept him under pressure through perfect cue control.

Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn, who won Asian championship in 2016, couldn’t win any single frame against Asif, who will now aim for second IBSF World Championship title in Antalya on Friday.

Asif started off the semi final with a break of 85 to take initial lead with frame score of 88-41. He continued the same run in the second frame where he got success with frame score of 65-20 to extend his lead 2-0.

Asif played another half-century break in the 3rd frame to make it 3-0 by take the frame 86-35. Pakistani cueist looked in total control in 4th frame and Kritsanut had no option but to concede the frame before attempting colors as Asif was leading 54-2.

The 2012 World Championship winner continued his run in 5th frame and played a break of 72 to make it 5-0 in his favor. Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn tried to show some resistance in 6th frame but Asif’s experienced proved too much for him.

The Thai cueist looked stronger in 7th frame, and that was the only time where he could pose some challenge to Mohammad Asif but still couldn’t overcome him as Asif completed the clean sweep in best of 13 frames.

Asif won the semi final with score of 88-41, 65-20, 86-35, 54-02, 73-17, 69-51 and 78-77.

Earlier, Asif had outclassed Thailand’s Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 6-4 in the Quarter Final.

Asif had won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in 2012. The Pakistan number one player had last year won Asian Team Championship while partnering with Babar Masih. He also won World Team Championship twice, in 2013 and 2017.

He is now aiming for one more title for Pakistan.

“I am hopeful of winning yet another title for Pakistan,” Asif told Geo.tv from Antalya, Turkey.