Pakistan 1 and 2 in World Men’s Team Snooker Championship last 16

By our correspondent
LAHORE: Both Pakistan 1 and Pakistan 2 topped their respective groups to qualify for the last 16 of the World Team Snooker Championship after winning three matches each on the trot in Doha.
Pakistan 1, featuring Mohammad Sajjad and Babar Masih, downed Ireland 3-2.
After losing the first frame 30-62 Pakistan’s pair of Sajjad and Babar bounced back smartly and won the second frame 62-19 to level the score. Pakistan 1 then went on to take lead by lifting the third frame in outstanding fashion 74-9 with a super break of 65.
However Irish pair brought parity by taking away the fourth frame 84-38.
But the experienced hands of Sajjad and Babar did well in the fifth frame and won it 59-20 to seal a solid win.
In the next fixture Pakistan 1 downed Egypt 3-1. After losing the first frame 9-74 Pakistan 1 won the second frame 139-0 with a splendid 139 break to square the show. Babar and Sajjad then went on to win the remaining two frames 69-31 and 72-2 to seal a fantastic triumph.
On late Thursday night Babar and Sajjad had defeated Romania 3-0 in their first fixture to take an impressive start.
The frames score was 103-42, 57-26 and 78-31. Pakistan 1 fired a break of 52 in the first century frame.
Meanwhile Pakistan 2, featuring Ahsan Ramzan and Mohammad Naseem Akhtar, who had downed Germany in their first fixture on Thursday 3-1, built on their fine start and went on to defeat UAE 3-1 with the frames score being 67-22, 62-72, 58-44 and 54-15.
In their third and last group fixture Pakistan 2 defeated Sweden 3-0 to qualify for the last 16.
The frames score was 70-58, 77-13 and 81-41.
The last 16 will be held on Saturday (today).