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       MANAMA: Pakistan’s Shahid Aftab and Mohammad Asif progressed to the knockout stages of the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship after the league round concluded on Monday, though their paths diverged during the day’s tense encounters in Manama.

       Shahid, the current national champion, delivered a remarkable comeback against Kuwait’s Abdullah Alyousef to secure his place directly in the last 16.

       Trailing 0-2 after losing the first two frames [25-70(44), 31-53], Shahid staged a stunning recovery. He dominated the third frame with a 48 break (79(48)-6), controlled the fourth (58-13), and sealed the decider emphatically with a superb 73 break [103(73)-25].

       Later, Shahid maintained his momentum with a commanding 3-0 victory over India’s Manan Chandra, highlighted by a 68 break in the opener [90(68)-17] and a 48 break in the final frame [105(48)-17].

       Asif, Pakistan’s most decorated cueist, qualified for the last-22 round but faced a setback against India’s Brijesh Damani.

       The 42-year-old Asif was defeated 3-0 [66-39, 66(42)-0, 79-41] in a match where Damani’s consistent scoring, including a 42 break in the second frame, proved decisive.

       Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2025