Hossein Vafaei believes his decision to live in Sheffield gives him a crucial advantage in his quest for World Snooker Championship glory. The Iranian, hailing from Abadan, is through to his first Crucible quarter-final after a dramatic 13-12 victory over world number one Judd Trump.
From Qualifier to Quarter-Finalist
Vafaei was the only qualifier to survive the first round, defeating Si Jiahui 10-3. He carried that form into the second round, toppling Trump in a tense encounter on Monday night. The 31-year-old now faces another first-time quarter-finalist, Wu Yize, with the pair locked at 4-4 after the opening session on Tuesday afternoon.
Home Comforts in the Steel City
Both Vafaei and Wu are based in Sheffield, practicing at Ding Junhui's and Victoria's academies respectively. While Vafaei cannot claim a local edge over his opponent, he sees living in the city as a significant benefit compared to most players in the tournament. Staying at home during the championship, he has spent the year focused on his Crucible dream, training just around the corner from the iconic venue.
“I am looking forward to playing anyone, I don’t be scared of anyone, and I think all of them know that as well,” Vafaei said. “So everything happened, happened. No pressure on me. I don’t have any pressure. I live in Sheffield. I wake up from my own bed, I come to the match. Perfect.”
Asked if he sees that as an advantage, he replied: “Yeah, exactly. That’s why I came to live in Sheffield and be beside the Crucible, and imagine one day you lift the trophy, and then it should happen.”
Confidence Against the Best
Reflecting on his win over Trump, Vafaei said: “I wasn’t nervous. I enjoyed every minute. I was born for this kind of situation. If I don’t face this kind of situation I will never become world champion. Every day the Crucible trophy is living in my head rent free. When you see the line, you get hungry or you get tired, it’s up to you. So this is a difference between me and maybe other people.”
Why Sheffield?
At last year’s World Championship, Vafaei explained his move to the Steel City: “Sheffield is a snooker city. They love snooker. Lots of snooker academies here, lots of good international restaurants. Whenever you want to play someone, there’s always someone for you to play and not easy opponents, they always give you a good game. Sheffield is a good city.”
Representing Iran Amid Conflict
After coming through qualifying, Vafaei spoke about the difficulty of focusing on snooker during the ongoing war in his home country. Following his victory over the world number one on snooker’s biggest stage, he said of representing Iran: “This is the only thing I can do. I have only one cue in my hand. I have to raise the flag up.”
What’s Next
Vafaei and Wu will play to a finish in their race to 13 frames on Wednesday, with sessions in the afternoon and evening.
