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Tribune News Network
Doha
Pakistan's trusted snooker pair of Muhammad Asif and Babar Masih combined superbly to overcome nerves and a challenging Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Malkeet Singh to claim gold medal in the Asian Team Snooker Championship at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall on Friday.
The absorbing final which last about two hours between Pakistan 1 and India 1 teams was a see-saw and thrilling affair and went full distance before the former won the contest 3-2 (110-2, 47-81, 72-70, 5-107, 98-18).
As the scoreline would suggest, players of either teams held sway in one frame or the other. While the left-handed Masih began the proceedings for Pakistan in a thumping fashion claiming the opening frame 110-2 with a break of 81; Malkeet Singh did so in the very next with a break of 52 winning 81-47.
The doubles was even more close with the four best snooker cueists giving nothing away. But the Pakistani duo potted the crucial balls just when it mattered to seize the third frame at 72-70.
In the reverse singles, Advani, a 19-time world champion in billiards and snooker, returned to the table in the fourth frame to show why he stands so tall.
Displaying finesse with elegance he struck a break of 68 which made Asif a bystander as he couldn't do much and the frame was gone 107 to 5.
It all now hinged on the battle between Malkeet and Babar and this time it was the ability of the southpaw cueist from Pakistan to score from challenging angles and corners. He did so and effortlessly to clinch the decider 98-18.
Earlier in the semis, Malkeet had played the match of his life under pressure to clinch the deciding frame against Pakistan 2 and ensure a berth for the Indian team in the final.
The semifinal against Pakistan 2 was as a roller-coaster ride from the get-go. Pakistan's Muhammad Majid Ali got the better of Pankaj Advani in the opener.
However, it was Malkeet who saved the day twice, first by drawing parity against Mohammad Bilal in the second singles frame, going into the doubles at 1-1.
In the 4-way encounter, Pakistan took the frame away from the Indians in a close affair.
The reverse singles were both must-wins for India. Pankaj salvaged his day on a personal level by piecing together a fine 58 break against Bilal to enforce the decider. Malkeet, for the second time, grabbed the match from the jaws of defeat.
He, however, couldn't repeat the magic in the final frame of the final.
In the other semis, Babar and Asif had defeated the Chinese team of teenagers Wu Yize (age 14) and Pang Junxu (18) 3-1.
