Hasanain Khalid Alsultani Wins Q Tour Americas Title in San Jose
Hasanain Khalid Alsultani defeated Sargon Isaac 5-4 in the final of the second Q Tour Americas event at the PABSA Academy in San Jose, USA.
The victory sees the American join Canada’s Vito Puopolo, the winner of event one, in the top two spots in the Q Tour Americas series ranking list and secure an invite to the Q Tour Global Play-Off in Bosnia & Herzegovina next month, where three World Snooker Tour cards will be on offer.
Twenty-eight players from USA and Canada headed to Northern California to compete in the final regular Q Tour event of the 2023/24 season.
Neither Puopolo nor Jason Williams, the two finalists from the first event held in Toronto, were involved this time around and so those at the event knew that lifting the title would also secure qualification for the Global Play-Off.
Victories over Andy Mccloskey and Sanaullah Ansari saw Alsultani book his place in the quater-finals where he met two-time United States national champion Ajeya Prabhakar.
Prabhakar twice led in the early stages of the best-of-seven frame contest but Alsultani ultimately proved too strong, winning the final three frames of the match to win 4-2 and reach the final four, where he would comfortably overcome Sam McGrath 4-1.
On the opposite side of the draw, three-time United States national champion Isaac was the beneficiary of a first round bye before beating Fawad Sediqi in a hard-fought deciding frame to reach the last eight.
Back-to-back whitewash wins over Nitin Mehta and Canadian Karam Namek saw Isaac set up a final meeting with Alsultani on Sunday afternoon.
The title match was a tense and nervy affair with both players struggling to get into a rhythm.
Alsultani took the opener and by the time the mid-session interval arrived, he had opened up a two-frame lead over his fellow American at 3-1. The next two frames were then shared to take the scoreline to 4-2 and move Alsultani just one away from the title.
Isaac fought back valiantly, however, to take the next two and force a final frame decider.
Ultimately, however, it was Alsultani who managed to get over the line and secure the Q Tour Americas event two title.
Attention now switches to the Q Tour Global Play-Off, which takes place on 13-15 March. Learn more about the WPBSA Q Tour.
