Ahmad Taufiq Murni prepared for his upcoming international tournament in the best possible manner after clinching the Brunei Cue Sports Association (BCSA) National 9-Ball Pool Championship 2016 with a nerve-wracking 9-7 win over Mohd Khalid Abu Bakar at the Billiards and Snooker Hall II of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium yesterday.

The country's top ranked cueist was littered with a succession of errors beginning with the first rack but had gone unpunished including the first one though Khalid would tie the scores.

Mohd Khalid, who had beaten Taufiq in the 10-ball tournament last year, over sliced the 7-ball which proved a defining moment in the rack for his opponent to regain the lead.

Taufiq, who will be turning his attention at the Golden Break 9-Ball Championship in June, missed a bank shot on the 1-ball allowing Khalid to build a two-rack lead.

The Brunei number one would not bow down to pressure and quickly drew the game 5-5 as both players anticipated a four-rack shootout.

Taufiq got the upper edge after acquiring a 7-5 lead which prompted a timeout and it proved a timely boost for Khalid after trimming the deficit to just within one rack.

In the stages of yet another thrilling final involving the duo, Taufiq appeared to have blown a rack which was on the wraps only for a miss on the 9-ball to give Khalid hope.

Taufiq had attributed the unpunished miss to a wrongly executed stroke after seeing the cue ball missed the jaw of the pocket.

However, a brief moment of uncertainty turned to relief after Khalid, who admitted the 9-ball was straight, floundered an opening which if successful could ensure the tie going right down the wire.

The national multi-title winner was not to be denied to finish the game to give him the best possible preparation for the highly-competitive regional pool tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Awangku Muhammad Saiful Azri bin Pengiran Roslee and teenage sensation Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Hasnan won bronze after being eliminated in the semi-finals.

Presenting the prizes to the winners was Serabah Haji Abas, Vice President of the Brunei Darussalam Cue Sports Association.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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