Sabzi wins U21 silver at Asian Snooker Championships
Iran’s Shahin Sabzi settled for silver in the under-21 event at the Asian Snooker Championships in Doha, Qatar, after a 4-1 defeat to Pakistan’s Ahsan Ramzan in a drama-filled, error-strewn final on Friday.
Ahsan, the 2022 World Amateur Snooker champion, edged a scrappy opening frame 79-30, producing a superb clearance after Sabzi – who had led by 26 points – missed several chances to close it out.
Sabzi leveled the match by claiming the second frame with a 57 break, capitalizing on Ahsan’s frustration following a missed straightforward shot.
The 20-year-old Ahsan responded emphatically in the third frame. A clinical 65 break, followed by a sublime 54 clearance, restored his lead at 2-1.
The fourth frame encapsulated the tension of the contest. Sabzi, trailing throughout, mounted a gritty comeback from the colors, only to miss a simple green with the frame at his mercy. After both players traded further errors, Ahsan eventually potted the blue and pink to move within one frame of the title at 3-1.
With the championship in sight, the fifth and decisive frame turned into a nerve-racking safety battle. Sabzi started strongly but was repeatedly wasteful, while Ahsan capitalized on a fluked pink to establish a lead. With only the colors remaining, the drama of the previous frame resurfaced. After both players missed the brown, Sabzi made the final error, allowing Ahsan to pot the pink and seal the title.
The result marked Sabzi’s second medal in Doha, following his impressive bronze in the men’s senior event.
Armin Javaheri and Shahab Ali Esmaeili were the other Iranian competitors in the under-21 age group, exiting in the last 16 after 4-0 defeats to opponents from Pakistan and Hong Kong, respectively.