Saleh Muhammad ~~Vj
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~""" !Ii ,:1 ... .mi ~ - 9) akistan's ace cueist ,!rfI1, SalehMuharnn'la.dcould In;""" not win the 2003 mSF '0on; WorldSnookerChampi- Saleh Muhammad ~~vJ tkf~) onship but he remained ~ Pthe most consistent performer of the two-weekevent staged in the Chin~ port cityofJiangmen.The puts up terrific performance a 31-year-oldSalehhad reachedthe final after havingtriumphedin all \,.," of his previous 14 matches while \"11' his opponent,. Indian-iteenager World Snooker Championshi i~t~ Pankl\jAdvani,,had tasted defeltt -~\(~ noless than twicein hjs 10league ~,,;;- matches. 'My only success in the second session was in the 13th frame. I '1\~ Saleh, if} great form, was. -li.~.supremelyconfidentof pocketing \-,)e~',the best of 21 frame final. But made it 6- 7 by winning this frame. But Advani was simply brilliar youth prevailed over experience the next frame. In his very first visit to the table he amassed a bi '\~"\'\- tookanditthewascrown.Advani,not Saleh,who ~;:. Saleh, while talking to 'The of 135. It was amazing stuff really' e;\~\ Newson ~unday:'after his return .S'n to Karachi,admitte<ithat he had By Syed Khalid Mahmood i;\b;: run out of steamin the second "\" session of the final which was ~;;~:dominatedby the reigningIndian framethat winningfiveframeson because of better frame scores _'t. nationalchampion. a trot was next to impossible in than Saleh, who was seeded ti~~ 'Mvani did unsettle my game the prevailing conditions," Saleh second. by forcingme to run all over the revealed. In the last 32, Saleh had place. He hardly committed an The 17th frameindeed proved outwitted Martin Mcrudden of . error in the whole match. His to be the last one and Advani Ireland 5-3 while he' demolished plan was to make me tired. He thoroughlydeservedhis 11-6win. Issara Kachiawongof Thailand5- -. ':.. was playing so well that I didn't The framescores ofthe finalwere 1 inthe pre-quarter-finals.Hewas v... get the opportunity to undo his 35-64 7-79 73-10 66-56 46-59 equally ruthless while blasting plans,"Salehconceded. 87-13', 81-43, 71-13, 0-95', 15-93', LinangWenboof China6-1 in the '!t.x~ "I had been drained out in the 64-36, 78-33, 3-47,135-0, 65-46, quarter-finals while he -:.')::; first session. Although the 70-67,63-22. encountered some resistal\ce scoreline was 5-all I had run out "Advani played very well from Mark Allen of Northern }",y'. of ~am by the time the ~co~d indeed with total confidence and Ireland in the semi-finalsbut won -W'l".sessiOngot underway which did good safety," commented Pakistan it 8-5. It was onlyin the finalthat 1, not allowme to play my natural manager, Yousuf Suleman, at the Saleh could not get things under game. My chances of winning end of the final. Saleh Muhammad control. ,.;". then onlyhingedon blundersto had reached the final after MeanwhilePankl\jAdvanihas - h be committed by my opponent. winning all his 10 league matches now become the second Indian, bf'b' ButAdvaniwasnotin anymood and then four knock-out matches. after 0 B Agarwal, to have '{:.£_~. to let go the opportunity.He was He had preserved his captured the world snooker ,,~~ '.- makingmost of every opening unbeaten record of ten wins in as champion. Saleh Muhammad ~~-:~ becauseit washisday,"the new many matches in Group D when would also have become the ;:<.,. worldnumbertwo observed. he toppled Mei Xiwen of China in second Pakistani, after -. " "My only success in the his last league fixture 4-2. Earlier Muhammad Yousuf, had he second session was in the 13th he had registered victories over clinched the title. Since he !J::r: frame. I had made it 6-7 by Tim English (Wales) 4-3, Tauriq couldn't do it, Yousufremainsthe ,,;, .winningthis frame. But Advani Samsodien (South Africa) 4-0, only world snooker champion to > . was simply brilliant in the next Tang Jun (China) 4-3, Balazs be producedby Pakistan. frame. In his very first visitto the Hamori (Hungary) 4-3, Alan Lin The World Snooker.' ,,"TS'table he amassed a break of 135. Tang Chi (Hong Kong), Roy Stalk Championship was instituted in ~.; IT, It was amazingstuff really,"he (Netherlands) 4-1, Amarjargal 1963 and its very second edition -r,. recalled. (Mongolia) 4-0, James Misfud was held in Pakistan in 1966. fiJi'" "Ihad secured 67-0 lead inthe (Australia) 4-2 and Po Hsein Lee Gary Owen of Wales had run llID~ 16th frame but Advani made a (Chinese Taipie) 4-l. away with the title in both these hi" clearance of 70 and the frame Phaithoon Phonbun of events. was snatched again from me. I Thailand was the only other David Taylor was the first 8SV:dwas now trailing by 6-10 and I unbeaten cueist in the league Englishmanto win this title when no'~~:couldread the writingon the wall. matches. Phonbun was top it was fIrst held in Australia in _,i~', I knew before ehtering the 17th seeded for the knock-out matches 1968. Jonathan Barron of ~~- ."w ~ B H England claimed the title when again in 1982 but 0 B Agarwal of 1993 when the contest was held Scotlandhostedit in 1970. India won it in 1984. Paul 'Mifsud in Pakistan. And the very next Ray Edmonds of England of Maltaclaimedthe titJ,ein 1986 ' year the title came to Pakistan equalled Gary Owen's feat of and 1988 while Darren Morgan of" when MuhanunadYousufdid it in winning the championship two Wales took it in 1987.' '.' '. stylein SouthAfrica. times when the former James Wattana of.'I'h'a~land ' Sim-Ngam (Thailand), Stuart successfully retained the title in became the world champion.in Bingham (England), Marco Fu 1974 after having first won it a 1988 while Ken Doherty arid S . (Hong Kong), Luke Simmonds coupleofyears ago. O'Connor,both of them from (England), Ian Preece (VVales) The snooker gloryreturned to Ireland, won the title in 1989 and and Stephen Maguire (Scotland) Waleswhen Doug Moumtjoyand 1990 respectively. won the title in 1995, 1996, CliffWilson emerged champions Nappodon Noppachorn of . 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 in 1976 and 1978 respectively Thailand claimed the crown in respectively. The championship 'while England's Jimmy White 1991 while Neil Mosleyof Malta couldnot be staged in 2001 while capturedthe crownin 1980. did it in 1992. Triratanapradit of the last year's title was won by Terry Parsons did it for Wales 'ijlailandran awaywiththe title in Steve Mifsud of Australia..