CHENDGU: Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif won his second match by defeating Germany’s Alexander Vadau in a thrilling 2-1 contest at the World Games in Chengdu, China on Monday.
After dropping the opening frame 29-43, Asif showed great resilience by mounting a strong comeback.
In the second frame, he achieved an impressive break of 109 points, controlling the frame 116-9 to equalize the match. In the crucial third frame, Asif continued his strong performance, clinching victory with a 67-32 result.
Asif’s steady performance led him to secure the top spot in Group B, thus guaranteeing his advancement to the tournament’s quarterfinals. The quarterfinal matches for snooker at the World Games are set to occur on Tuesday.
It is important to note that Asif started his World Games snooker journey impressively, achieving a solid win against China’s Xiaolong Liang in his first group match on Sunday.
Asif took control of the match, securing victory in the best-of-three contest with a score of 2-0. He asserted victory in the first frame with a score of 79-50 and concluded the match with a strong 77-24 score in the second frame.
Asif will encounter Germany’s Alexander in his next group match on Monday.
In the World Games men’s snooker event, twelve players are split into four groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the quarterfinals.
The World Games 2025 began in Chengdu, China, on Friday, showcasing over 4000 competitors from over 100 nations, participating in 34 events, including Snooker.
The cue sport, which was introduced to the Games in 2001, will feature 12 competitors competing for the gold medal this year.
At the same time, ex-IBSF World champion Asif has been placed in Group B, with China’s Xiaolong and Germany’s Alexander Widau.
For those unfamiliar, Asif secured qualification for the World Games 2025 by winning the IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship in Doha last year.
Asif, who qualified for the championship after receiving a wild card nomination from the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSA), capitalized on the chance with his outstanding displays in the main and knockout rounds.
In the final, he faced Ali Gharahgozlou of Iran and had to make tough shots to win by a slim margin of 4–3.
Muhammad Asif, who won the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship title in Bahrain last month, has been playing really well lately.The 36-year-old veteran cueist, who has won two team and three solo titles in his illustrious career, defeated India’s Brijesh Damani 4-3 in the summit match to secure his sixth global title.