Japan v Qatar
This should be a fun match... and both teams have been in form.
Lag: Japan wins.
Frame 1: Toru breaks dry. Waleed misses the 1 badly. Naoyuki hooks them tight. Bashar escapes, but 1 is on. Naoyuki hooks Waleed who misses. Japan should be out with BIH. Naoyuki flirts with the 6 ball, getting too close but Toru recovers well, and they clear to lead 1-0.
Frame 2: Japan makes 3 on the break then hooks very well. Waleed gets out but leaves the 2 on. Naoyuki misses an easy shot, some noise during his swing... he's not smiling now. Qatar runs out of position and Waleed misses a long inside english follow shot. Two misses into the same pocket for Waleed who doesn't look as confident as he has. Japan clears and jumps to 2-0.
Frame 3: Toru makes 3 off the break and they are perfect on the 3 ball. They lose the line and funny guy Naoyuki plays the 6 rail first to get back on line. 3-0.
ad break
Frame 4: Japan makes a ball, some safety and back and forth and Japan gets back to the table and clears. 4-0
Qatar's glory run seems to have ended early. Hard to see them finding a couple of gears here.
Frame 5: Wet break again. A chance to clear. And they do. 5-0.
Frame 6: Naoyuki slams the break, makes the 1 in the side. Yuki misses a bank on the 2, but it's a shot to nothing, and he leaves a very hard 2 to 3 shot. Bashar plays a safe, I think... not far off potting it, and leaves a long tricky 2. Japan plays safe and hooks them bad with some luck. Waleed jumps, but hits the 7, always looked likely. BIH and Japan should clear again...and they do. 6-0.
Smart and competent pool by the Japan team so far, but haven't been tested much.
Frame 7: Toru makes a ball and is nicely on the 1. His cue touches the 7 as he strokes the 1 ball in. FOUL. Qatar out of line after a couple of shots and hand the table over. Japan makes some nice cut shots and clear. 7-0
Frame 8:Naoyuki makes a ball, Toru misses an pretty easy long straight 2 ball. First really good clear up opportunity for Qatar. They play is smooth, but cautiously soft as possible. Bashar holds his nerve on a testing 8 ball and they win one. 7-1
Frame 9: Bashar breaks, makes a lucky 4 ball and Waleed hooks Japan on the 1, behind the 8 ball. Lovely kick escape by Toru. Bashar hooks. Naoyoki fouls, then scratches and gets the giggles. I would have smashed my cue
Bashar butchers the 2 ball but flukes a hook. Japan jumps but leaves a chance for Waleed. He has to rush due to the beeper but gets it and perfect on the 3. Bashar stuffs up shape and Waleed misses a rail first pot, but flukes a hook and then Japan flukes a hook back. Bashar fouls and if Japan doesn't clear up now I'll be annoyed at having to type so much. 4 rails 8 to 9 and Japan is on the hill 8-1.
Frame 10: Naoyuki breaks dry, but wrongly informed to take the break, so re-rack and his partner Toru is breaking now... wow, he made 7 balls.... just kidding (for juxtaposition), he makes a ball but leaves a long 1 and it's blocked by the 2. Naoyuki plays safe, leaving distance from CB to 1. Waleed leaves a chance. Toru swings like he's holding and axe, but jags a snooker by the 3 ball and the jaw knuckle, so no jump possible. Bashar bashes it 2 rails and misses. Naoyuki misses BIH... this is getting silly! They both want to pack their cues up and go rest.
Qatar clears and we get to see Waleed play a little. 8-2.
Frame 11: Waleed powers up and controls the CB well, but nothing goes down. Only the 2nd dry break by Qatar in this tournament we're told. Japan hooks Bashar who escapes 1 rail but leaves a 60 degree cut on the 1. Japan makes it and only has to deal with an awkward 8-9 cluster. Toru hooks behind that cluster, developing the 8. Waleed fouls. Japan runs out like a rat runs up a drain-pipe.... well, Toru messes, caroming the 9 off the 8, and then Naoyuki misses a long cut. Bashar makes the 9. 8-3.
Frame 12: Bashar breaks dry. Japan with a weak safe. Bashar misses easy combo. Toru makes a nice 1 but finishes 2mm from the 2 ball. Out of line now and a safe is played on the 3. Waleed almost makes the 2 rail kick in. Toru misses a carom....
I'm going to have a hit now... will come back if Qatar wins a few.
The next game starts in 2 hours 10 mins.
