Muhammad Asif of Pakistan secured his spot in the final of the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar by defeating Cyprus’s Michael Georgiou with a score of 5-3 in a tightly contested semifinal.
Asif, a two-time world champion, initially fell behind after losing the first two frames to Georgiou. He responded by winning four consecutive frames with scores of 53-57, 5-71, 94-0, 111-6, 77-45, and 73-9 before Georgiou took a frame back at 24-74, and Asif closed the match at 58-51.
His impressive recovery included a significant century break in the fourth frame—his fifth of the tournament. Although Georgiou claimed the initial two frames, Asif’s relentless comeback shifted the momentum. He exerted consistent pressure, particularly notable in the critical fifth and eighth frames, paving his path to victory.
Despite a brief resurgence from Georgiou after losing four straight frames, Asif effectively leveraged crucial moments to secure his win.
This victory marks Asif’s third entry into an IBSF World Snooker Championship final, with previous wins in 2012 and 2019. This feat places him among a distinguished group of players with three or more IBSF final appearances.
India’s Pankaj Advani leads this elite group, who has made four final appearances and won three titles. Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh, although reaching three finals, has yet to win a championship.
Asif’s performance ignites hopes for a fifth world title in Pakistan, a nation that has seen previous wins by Asif himself, Mohammad Yousaf, and Ahsan Ramzan.
A victory in the final would further cement Asif’s status as one of Pakistan’s most decorated snooker players.
