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28 March 2024

Shehab claims National Day snooker title in style

Winner Mohamed Shehab (right) and runner-up Eissa Ali Sayed flank Shafiq Abdul Hamid, CEO of City Engineering & Contracting LLC, after the 41st National Day Snooker Championship in Dubai on Monday night. (SUPPLIED)

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By Staff

UAE snooker star Mohamed Shehab ended the 2012 season with a brilliant 5-0 victory over veteran Eissa Ali Sayed to add the 41st National Day Snooker Championship trophy to his burgeoning display cabinet at his Abu Dhabi home on Monday night.

Shehab was richly rewarded for winning the City Engineering-sponsored tournament as he pocketed the winner's prize of Dh41,000. He also took home another Dh4,100 for scoring the highest break of the event - a 107-point run recorded at the last 16 stage.

Sayed received a sum of Dh15,000 for his second place finish, while the two losing semifinalists, Mohammed Al Joaker and Khaled Al Azzouni, took home Dh3,000 each.

The 5-0 scoreline may reflect otherwise but those at Dubai Snooker Club were treated to some good snooker as Sayed did put up a fight in almost every frame.

It was low scoring match but still all the ingredients to keep the fans engrossed as there were some brilliant pots punctuated with misses that can only be seen when the players are under a tremendous amount of pressure.

Shehab had been up 2-0 after hard-fought victories in the first two frames when Sayed seemed on course to putting one to his name in the third. However, a spectacular pot on the last remaining red ended in an in-off for Shehab to come clear from yellow to black.

The fourth frame was once again close and Shehab only managed to seal it on the last pink. With Sayed drained of the enthusiasm to fight back, Shehab had it easy in the fifth frame and took it comfortably to win the match.

Shehab said after the match: "Eissa is a very experienced player and you have to be on guard all the time against him. The conditions were humid the rain last night and it made controlling the cue ball quite difficult as well.

"I am very happy that I have won this important event as well. Over the season, I have played all the strong players on the circuit and have beaten them. This should put me in the right frame of mind getting ready for the 2013 season."

Shehab has had an enviable time this season and remained unbeaten in 29 matches in a row. He remained the player to beat at the 41st National Day Championship in which he conceded only four frames in nine matches.

Shehab has also succeeded in holding on to the No. 1 spot in the official UAE snooker rankings after winning all four tournaments played over the year.