Spate of upsets send UAE players out of event

A fresh spate of upsets hit the Seven Nation International Snooker Championship 2012, with half the seeded players crashing out at the first hurdle on Tuesday, including UAE's Mohammad Shehab and Mohammad Al Joker. Pakistan's national champion Mohammad Asif earned a place in the quarter-finals by shocking the fourth-seeded Shehab on the third and final day of league matches at Hotel Pearl Continental. The seventh-seeded Al Joker scored a fine 4-2 victory over two-time Asian champion and third seed Yasin Merchant of India in his last group match, which earned him a tie for the second spot. But that wasn't enough to carry him through to the next round as he lost out on frame difference to unseeded Egyptian Mohammad Ebrahim Mohammad. Asif and the vastly experienced Shehab provided the fireworks in the last session of first round action before the Pakistani succeeded in clinching a 4-3 win. The other players advancing to the quarter-finals were top seed Hussain Vafaei Ayouri of Iran, second seed Thepchaiya Un-nooh of Thailand, unseeded Mohammad Sajjad of Pakistan and fifth seed Noppon Saengkham of Thailand.