Kamali storms into last eight of Dubai International Open

UAE's snooker prodigy Khalid Kamali squeezed past senior compatriot Mohammed Al Joaker to reach the last eight of the Dubai International Open quarter-finals through a better frame difference at Dubai Snooker Club on Wednesday evening.

The pivotal moment in the fate of the two players had been their second Group N encounter on Tuesday night during which the young Kamali fired on all cylinders to defeat Al Joaker 4-0, a result that never seemed to be on the cards at start of the game.

The outcome left Kamali better placed than Al Joaker needing just one frame to qualify for the quarter-finals.

And when on Wednesday evening, Kamali went down 4-2 to Thai teenager Ratchayothin Yotharak, who remained unbeaten and topped the group standings, it was more than enough to carry him to the knockout last eight stage of the tournament.

Al Joaker, despite the elimination, signed off on a high note as he routed young Indian Himanshu Jain 4-1 in his last Group N match, wrapping it up with a fine break of 89 in the fifth frame.

Mohammed Shehab, the only other UAE cueist left in the event, won his second match in a row after beating Pakistan's Asjad Iqbal 4-2 in their Group P encounter.

Mohammad Asif, the second Pakistani in the same group, rekindled his chances of making it to the quarter-finals after an impressive 4-0 victory over Mohsen Bukshaisha of Qatar.

The results in the group on Wednesday afternoon made it a three-way race between Shehab, Iqbal and Asif.

Shehab, before the start of the last set of group matches on Wednesday night, was the only unbeaten man in the pack but still without any firm guarantees of a place in the quarter-finals.

The scenario wasn't much different in Group Q as well.

Hong Kong's Andy Lee, the surprise package of the tournament, defeated the 2102 Arab Championship gold medallist Omar Alkojah of Syria but was yet to be assured himself of a quarter-final spot.

Alkojah and India's Laxman Rawat both remained in contention for a promotion, everything hinged on the results of their matches against Amir Sarkhosh of Iran and Lee respectively.
 
The knockout quarter-finals will be played on Thursday afternoon at the same venue.

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