Doha, November 12 (QNA) - Qatari snooker star Ali Al Obaidly has qualified for the final round of the World Snooker Championship (Qatar 2025), hosted by the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation.

This marks his second appearance in the tournament's final, following his world title win in 2023. The championship concludes Thursday, with the participation of top-ranked international players and former world champions.

Al Obaidly secured his spot in the final after defeating England's Harvey Chandler 5–2 in a competitive semifinal match held today.

The frame scores were (72–1), (120–1), (0–85), (66–78), (71–1), and (58–28), with Al Obaidly dominating the early stages by winning three consecutive frames before Chandler narrowed the gap to 2–3. After a tightly contested fifth frame, Al Obaidly regained momentum and clinched the final two frames to seal his victory.

He will face Poland's Michal Zobarczyk, the youngest player in the tournament at just 14 years old, who defeated France's Nicolas Mortreau 5–1 in the other semifinal.

Earlier today, Al Obaidly also triumphed in the quarterfinals against Germany's Richard Weinold with a clean 4–0 win, showcasing complete control throughout the match.

In other quarterfinal results, Michal Zobarczyk edged past defending champion Mohammad Asif of Pakistan (4–3), Nicolas Mortreau beat China's Ding Haohui (4–1), and Harvey Chandler overcame Pakistan's Asjad Iqbal (4–3).

The final match, set for Thursday, will determine the new world champion. 

Qatari snooker player Ali Al Obaidly has delivered a remarkable performance throughout the World Snooker Championship (Qatar 2025), securing his place in the final for the second time in his career, following his previous world title in 2023.

Al Obaidly topped Group 12 after winning all three of his matches: defeating Hong Kong's Fong Kok Wai (4–2), American Ajeya Prabhakar (4–0), and former Asian and world champion Amir Sarkhosh of Iran (4–2).

His group-topping performance earned him a direct qualification to the Round of 16, bypassing the Round of 24 as one of the top eight group leaders.

In the knockout stages, Al Obaidly continued his winning streak by overcoming Singapore's Chan King Kuang (4–3) in a tightly contested match, followed by a dominant 4–0 victory over Germany's Richard Weinold in the quarterfinals.

Expressing his joy at reaching the final once again, Al Obaidly said he was proud of his consistent performance throughout the tournament, especially in today's matches against Weinold and England's Harvey Chandler.

He acknowledged the difficulty of each match, noting the presence of former world champions and top-ranked players, and credited his focus and determination for his success, particularly in his group-stage win over Amir Sarkhosh and his comeback against Chan King Kuang.

Looking ahead to the final, Al Obaidly recognized the challenge posed by his opponent, Poland's Michal Zobarczyk, the youngest player in the tournament at just 14 years old, who has impressed by defeating world-class competitors.

Al Obaidly emphasized the importance of maintaining peak concentration and minimizing errors, stating that in matches of this caliber, the player who makes fewer mistakes often prevails.

He attributed his technical growth and high-level performance to the strong support provided by the Qatar Billiard Sports Federation, as well as the valuable experience gained from regular competition against top-ranked players in international and Asian tournaments hosted in Doha.

Al Obaidly concluded by expressing his hope to win the final and fulfill the expectations of the federation and the Qatari fans. (QNA)