Pakistan's outing in the Jubilee Insurance 29th Asian Snooker Championship ended on Wednesday when Mohammad Sajjad and Abu Saim crashed out in the quarter-finals. Aamir Sarkosh (Iran), Omer Al Kojah (Syria), Saleh Muhammad (Afghanistan) and Zhao Xintong (China) advanced into the last four stage after contrasting victories in the quarter-finals at Darbar Hall of a local hotel here.
Like on Tuesday, it was another highly disappointing day for the host Pakistan as after IBSF World Champion Muhammad Asif and National Champion Hamza Akbar were eliminated on Tuesday, former Asian number two Sajjad and Saim were also sent packing. Reigning IBSF World Junior Champion Zhao Xintong showed a class act when he came from 0-3 down to overpower Abu Saim of Pakistan 5-3 with a spectacular display of snooker.
15-year-old school student, Xintong showed nerves of steel to down Abu Saim laced with superb breaks of 102 and 122. Saim got off to dream start against World Junior Champions by securing 3-0 after Xintong struggled in the initial half of the event. But once the Chinese snooker sensation Xinton got into his strides there was no stopping for him. He potted and dipped the multicoloured balls with precision to blast Saim in the last five frames.
Former Asian number two, Sajjad's dream to win the title was shattered when Iran's Aamir Sarkosh thrashed him 5-2 which included a break of 81 in the fourth frame. Formerly of Pakistan Saleh Muhammad, who has now migrated to Afghanistan, routed Mohammad Labai of Iran 5-1. Ex-World number two Saleh dropped the second frame before notching up a straightforward victory and a place in the semi-final. Like Saleh, Omar Al-Kojah also lost a frame before blasting Lu Chun Wai of Hong Kong. In the best of 9-frame semi-finals on Thursday, Saleh will be up against Zhao Xinton at 10.00 am. The second semi-final will be held after the first match.