Pakistan’s veteran snooker player Muhammad Asif has advanced to the final of the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship after defeating India’s Manan Chandra 4-2 in a convincing semi-final match on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain.

A former world amateur champion, Asif, showcased remarkable determination by bouncing back after losing an early frame. The frame scores were 118-6, 0-84, 25-76, 92-11, 87-62, and 72-41.

He started strong, dominating the opening frame 118-6, but Chandra responded by winning the next two frames to take the lead. Asif then turned the tide, winning three consecutive frames to claim the match.

In the final, Asif will face either India’s Vijay Nichani or Brijesh Damani, who previously defeated him in the group stage.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s rising star Hasnain Akhtar qualified for the final of the IBSF World U17 Snooker Championship, achieving a 4-0 victory over Poland’s Oliwier Nizialek.

The emerging cueist has lost only one frame throughout the tournament, taking control of the match by winning the first three frames decisively.

Nizialek struggled to score in double digits in those frames, although he attempted a comeback in the must-win contest. Hasnain secured the win with frame scores of 76-1, 69-8, 88-0, and 62-37.

Hasnain Akhtar will compete against Wales’ Riley Powell in the final, scheduled for Friday. Earlier, he secured his spot in the semi-finals with a solid 3-1 victory over Poland’s Krzysztof Czapnik.