In a thrilling turn of events at the 49th NBP National Snooker Championship, Shahid Aftab defeated world snooker champion Muhammad Asif 6-3 in the semi-finals to secure a spot in the final. Aftab’s stunning comeback after losing the first three frames caught everyone by surprise as he clinched six consecutive frames to seal the victory.
The semi-finals were held on Friday at the Snooker Arena of the National Bank Sports Complex. In the first semi-final, National Bank’s Muhammad Sajjad faced off against Punjab’s Owais Munir, the Asian Six Red Snooker champion and the event’s number two seed. In a hard-fought contest, Sajjad triumphed 6-5, booking his place in the final. The frame scores were as follows: 69-45, 21-107, 65-57, 76-30, 52-59, 0-85, 55-65, 88-0, 22-63, 61-46, and 78-35. Sajjad also produced impressive breaks of 75 in the fourth frame and 70 in the eighth frame.
In the second semi-final, Aftab showcased remarkable resilience and skill to overcome the reigning world champion Asif. After trailing 3-0, Aftab mounted a spectacular comeback, winning six frames in a row. The frame scores for his victory were: 61-68, 51-72, 23-102, 71-52, 72-51, 69-55, 76-13, 64-50, and 84-57. His performance left snooker enthusiasts in awe as he powered his way into the final.
The best-of-13 final will take place tomorrow, where Shahid Aftab will face Muhammad Sajjad for the prestigious title.
According to Tournament Director Naveed Kapadia, both semi-finals lived up to the high expectations, delivering exciting and competitive snooker action.
Fans are eagerly awaiting what promises to be an exciting final as two of Pakistan’s finest snooker talents prepare to battle for the national crown.
