Shehab too hot for Bond

Abu Dhabi's Mohammed Shehab has had a good run in Bangkok.

Bangkok // Abu Dhabi's Mohammed Shehab completed a spectacular 6-4 victory over Englishman Nigel Bond to reach the last 16 of the SangSom 6-Red World Grand Prix yesterday. Shehab, runner-up in his group after losing his final match 5-3 to Thailand's Issara Kachaiwong, bounced back after losing three of the first four frames to the Derby professional.

But from 3-1 down, Shehab won three in a row and while Bond recorded a break of 66 to draw level, the 32-year-old police lieutenant led 5-4 on the black before sealing victory in frame 10. He now faces the toughest task of all if he is to reach the quarter-finals with Judd Trump, 19 - unbeaten so far - standing between him and a place in the last eight. Group winner Trump went through after a comprehensive 6-1 victory over former world champion, Peter Ebdon who remarked: "This youngster never misses, he hardly gave me a chance and will take some stopping."

Shehab's UAE teammate, Mohammed al Joker, failed to reach the knockout stages after losing 5-3 to China's Fung Kwok Wai in his final group match which he had to win to go through. Ryan Day was responsible for only the second perfect 6-red frame of the week to join Michael Holt at the top of the break chart with a clearance of 75 as he completed a 5-3 victory over Supoj Saenla of Thailand. The last-32 results went with the form book until the former world champion Shaun Murphy was beaten 6-4 by Jimmy White, who only qualified by winning both his last two group matches.

Then last year's runner-up Stuart Bingham defeated former UK and Wembley Masters champion, Matthew Stevens. Thailand's Noppadon Noppachorn gained a 6-4 win against the previously unbeaten Darren Morgan, winner of the 2007 IBSF Masters crown and - like the Thai - a former world amateur champion. [e-mail]