By Armstrong Vas
Doha: Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn of Thailand is the new Asian Snooker Championship.
On Saturday, the diminutive Thai, who hit the purple patch in the Qatar championship overcoming players much higher in the ranking hierarchy, continue in the same vein to register a comfortable 6-2 win over Mohamed Shehab of UAE to win the continental championship.
For the last two days, Lertsattayathorn, who is knick name ‘Thorn’ had to toil hard for victory, posting stunning wins over Mohammed Asif of Paksitan and Pankaj Advani of India in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Asian Snooker Championship but in the final the Thai had a relatively easy passage.
The 27-year-old having done all the hard work in the last two rounds overcoming the top seeds Advani and Asif was in no mood to relax.
Lertsattayathorn seemed to be overawed by the situation losing the first frame to his UAE opponent by then bounce back to win the next two to make it 2-1.
Shehab, won the fourth frame, thereafter Lertsattayathorn asserted himself to pocket the next four frames to win the best-of-11 frames final 6-2.
He also got a two-year professional tour card by World Snooker and also picked up the $1,750 prize for the maximum break of the tournament.
The champion took home $3,500 and the runner-up $1,750. The losing semi-finalists colelcted $500 each. The organisers also have lined up cash awards for the highest break and maximum break.
Scores
Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn of Thailand – 6 Mohamed Shehab of UAE -2
Frames scores: 19/ 62, 53/33, 61/51, 34/47, 71/22,83/3 72/24, 73/39
