SNOOKER – BAHRAIN’S snooker superstar Habib Sabah advanced to the round of 32 yesterday in the opening event of the 2025-26 Q Tour Middle East.
The meeting is currently being held in Dubai, the UAE, and it is the first of four in this region’s World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) series.
A record 60 players from 11 countries are competing for first place, which will be decided on Wednesday.
The Q Tour Middle East is part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global, which incorporates regional events held around the world, each offering access to an extended Q Tour Playoff at the end of the season, where World Snooker Tour two-year cards are on offer.
Sabah secured his berth in the last 32 after defeating Hashem Abdelaziz from Egypt 3-1 in their best-of-five, round-of-64 clash yesterday.
Sabah lost the opening frame where Abdelaziz scored a century break of 103, but then roared back in the next three to take the match 5-103, 60-40, 80-60, 60-30.
Sabah moved on to face another Egyptian opponent in Mina Awad, who defeated Mohamed Alshareef from Libya 3-0 (85-3, 75-4, 94-0). Awad had a high break of 70 in the second frame.
Meanwhile, Bahraini cueists Hesham Alsaqer and Younis Saqer were also scheduled to take part in Dubai, but they conceded their matches yesterday via walkover. Alsaqer was to take on Libya’s Muetaz Sabrih, while Saqer was to play Karar Najim. Both their opponents made it through to the last 32.
The second event of the 2025-26 Q Tour Middle East is scheduled to follow at the same Emirati venue from Thursday to next Sunday.
Last season’s Q Tour Middle East series featured three events – the first held in Manama, with the other two in Abu Dhabi. Sabah was the winner of the Bahrain round, where he beat Ismail Türker of Türkiye in the final.
Sabah went on to compete in the Q Tour Playoff, but he lost 1-5 in his quarter-final match to Liam Highfield of England.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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