Pakistanโs Muhammad Asif has advanced to the final of the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar, securing a 5-3 victory over Cyprus cueist Michael Georgiou in a tense semifinal match on Tuesday.
Asif, a two-time world champion, overcame an early deficit after losing the first two frames to Georgiou.
However, the 42-year-old Pakistani cueist mounted a strong comeback, winning four consecutive frames to take control of the match.
His victory was marked by a century break in the fourth frame, which was his fifth of the tournament.
The match began with Georgiou taking a 2-0 lead, but Asif responded with a series of high-quality breaks, including a 94-0 win in the third frame and a 111-6 victory in the fourth.
Asifโs consistency in the fifth and eighth frames proved crucial, helping him seal the match with a 58-51 win in the final frame.
Georgiou, who had won the opening two frames, fought back in the later stages but could not overcome Asif’s momentum.
Despite losing four consecutive frames, Georgiou remained competitive, but Asif capitalized on key opportunities to secure his place in the final.
This marks Asifโs third appearance in an IBSF World Snooker Championship final, following his title victories in 2012 and 2019.
With this achievement, he joins a select group of players who have reached three or more finals in the tournament.
India’s Pankaj Advani leads this elite group, having reached four finals and won three titles, while Iranโs Amir Sarkhosh has reached the final three times but has not claimed the title.
The final is scheduled for later this week.
