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Indian challenge ends at Asian snooker

Ahmedabad-based Rupesh Shah was beaten 5-2 by Malaysia's Ng Ann Seng in the quarter-finals to mark the end of the Indian challenge in the Asian Snooker championship at Hong Kong.

Shah, the only Indian left in the fray after the exit of national champion Yasin Merchant in the pre-quarter-finals on Thursday, lost steam after the two cueists were tied 2-2 in the best-of-nine-frame quarter-finals.

Shah took the first frame with the help of a break of 47 and then lost the next two to trail 1-2, with his rival compiling a run of 41 in the second and taking the third on the black ball.

But India number two Shah hit back with a fine 64 in the fourth, to which the 43-year-old Seng replied with a 54 before allowing the Indian cueist to have a chance to clear all the colours by muffing the yellow.

Shah cleared from yellow to the pink to restore parity at 2-2 before Seng took control of the proceedings, making good a 15-point (35-50) leeway in the sixth in spectacular style when leading 3-2.

Seng came up with a long blue pot and brought his cue ball off four cushions close to the pink nestled along the top cushion, which decided not only the frame but also the match as his Indian rival never recovered after this.

Seng is to meet Marlon Manalo of the Phillipines, a former Asian champion, while the other semi-final will pit Pakistan's former world amateur runner-up Saleh Mohammed against Thai Nappadon Sangnil. Mohammed thrashed Hung Ching-Ming of Chinese Taipei 5-1 in another quarter-final clash.