Asif, Shahid off to flying start at IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship

KARACHI: Pakistan's cueists Muhammad Asif and Shahid Aftab kicked off their IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship campaign with impressive wins, sealing their places in the knockout stage on the opening day of the event in Bahrain.

The championship features 43 players from 15 countries, and both Asif and Aftab remained unbeaten on day one, winning both their group matches.

Placed in Group C, IBSF world champion Asif displayed exceptional form to win both the matches without dropping a single frame. He began the day with a 3-0 victory over Oman's Haitham Bin Ali, with frame scores of 89-33, 69-4, and 53-6.

Asif registered a break of 61 in the first frame and a 46 in the second, underlining his control over the table throughout the match.

He followed it up with another dominant 3-0 win against Ireland's Jay Chopra, taking the frames 68-33, 79-14, and 67-16. Although he did not post any major breaks in this match, Asif maintained consistent scoring and tactical discipline to seal a comprehensive victory.

Meanwhile, Aftab had to battle hard in both of his Group B encounters, winning each in the deciding fifth frame.

In his first match, Aftab edged Egypt's Mohamed Noweir 3-2. The match saw fluctuating momentum, with frame scores reading 68-43, 47-64, 88-35, 31-60, and 94-36.

Aftab crafted a brilliant break of 88 in the third frame to reclaim the lead, and later sealed the match with steady potting in the decider.

Against Kuwait’s Abdullah Alyousef, Aftab made a remarkable comeback from 0-2 down to win 3-2. The frame scores were 25-70, 31-53, 79-06, 58-13, and 103-25.

The Pakistani cueist produced two fine breaks — a 48 in the third frame and a decisive 73 in the fifth — to turn the match around and secure a vital win.

Both Pakistani players will now face Indian opponents in their final group matches on Monday, looking to finish the group stage on a high.