UAE cueists make winning comeback

Dubai: UAE cueists Mohammad Mustafa Shehab and Mohammad Al Joker were in dazzling form at the SangSom 6-Red World Grand Prix riding roughshod over their respective opponents at Bangkok's Montien Riverside Hotel yesterday.

The pair bounced back from their first day defeats on Tuesday to record convincing victories on Day Two. UAE No 1 Shehab, who suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat at the hands of England's Joe Perry in his opening Group E match, demolished Ulsterman Joe Swail 5-1, while compatriot Al Joker overcame the disappointment of a 5-2 loss to local favourite Phaitoon Phonbun, to blank Australian Daniel Thorp 5-0 in Group A.

The Bangkok tournament has attracted an elite field of up to 20 players from the World Snooker Main Tour, including five former world champions, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy (2005), Mark Williams, Peter Ebdon (2002), and Ken Doherty.

The big names, though, have had their share of bad results; most notably reigning and three-time world champion John Higgins of Scotland, who was slapped with a three-frame penalty for arriving late and ended up losing 5-0 on the opening day to unsung Pakistani Mohammad Sajjad. Williams, former world professional champion in 2000 and 2003, also suffered an unexpected loss when he went down 5-2 to Dave Harold.

Like Higgins, India's Aditya Mehta incurred a three-frame penalty against Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm for his tardiness. But, unlike Higgins, Mehta, runner-up at the 2008 Asian championships, proved his class by winning five of the remaining six frames for a 5-4 win.

Ireland's Doherty, professional champion in 1997, was one of the few favourites to return triumphant, beating local Supoj Saenla 5-3.

Shehab and Al Joker both played their third group matches late yesterday. Shehab was expected to face Japan's Yutaka Fukuda, while Al Joker took on Judd Trump of England.