Hossein Vafaei produced the biggest shock of this year's World Snooker Championship by defeating world number one Judd Trump 13-12 in a final-frame decider on Monday. The Iranian showed immense composure, crafting a break of 91 in the 25th frame to secure victory and advance to the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
Vafaei's Epic Comeback
Trump, aiming to add to his 2019 title, led 10-7 and 12-11, but Vafaei refused to back down. The beaming Iranian received a warm congratulation from Trump and a standing ovation from the crowd. “He’s such a tough opponent. I respect him on and off the table,” Vafaei said. “Today I played better than yesterday and I managed it better than before. I said: ‘If it’s my tournament, it’s going to happen.’ I’ve been working on the mental side, I’ve wanted to be calmer and perform. It’s better to sometimes shut your mouth and let the game come out.”
Higgins Stuns O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan admitted he got what he deserved after his bid for a record-breaking eighth Crucible crown was shattered by a stunning comeback from John Higgins. O'Sullivan led by five frames twice but lost six in a row over the final two sessions. Higgins fired three centuries on Monday before holding his nerve to complete a memorable 13-12 victory and reach the quarter-finals.
O'Sullivan, who had booked a flight back to Ireland for Monday morning, revealed he was not confident before the match. “I’ve got to be honest with you, I had a flight booked home early this morning because I wasn’t sure if I’d get to the third session before the match started,” he said. “I was realistic about my chances. I haven’t been in any big matches for two years. Playing the top boys in a real pressure situation now, I knew it was going to kind of expose me in some sort of way. I was really shocked that I was able to make a game of it.”
Higgins, who trailed 8-3 and 9-4, forced a rare show of frustration from O'Sullivan as he chipped back to 9-7 overnight. In the final session, he fired three centuries en route to completing one of the most memorable wins of his career. “It’s got to be up there,” said Higgins. “I’m just delighted I came to the party in the third session, because after the first two sessions, how I was only 9-7 behind, I’ll never know. Ronnie was by far the better player.”
The atmosphere was electric, with Higgins describing the ovation as overwhelming. O'Sullivan, who played sporadically this season, admitted he was shocked to take it to the brink. “When I was 6-2 up after the first session, I said to my mate: ‘I can’t work this out’. I felt like I played OK, and 9-7 up after two sessions, I thought: ‘OK, cool.’ But John played great today and I tried to hang on to him. I just couldn’t get the job done.”
Selby Frustrated After Defeat
Mark Selby branded the playing surface “horrific” after a 13-11 defeat by China's Wu Yize. Selby, a four-time world champion, compiled a match-best 95 to keep himself in contention at 12-10, but neither player scored at their best. Wu did not muster a half-century on Monday until a 53 that finally sealed the win.
“It’s not the reason I lost that match, but it’s disappointing to come to a tournament that is the pinnacle of our sport and think the conditions are going to play really well and they’re not,” Selby said. “In my first game against Jak Jones I felt like the table was absolutely horrific. It was tough. I know they did the best job possible, but something needs to happen because it’s so inconsistent from one tournament to the next.”
Despite Wu's unorthodox shot selection, Selby believes the Chinese player has a bright future. “He’s great for our game, he’s great to watch and very, very attacking. Some of the balls he took on against me, I’m not sure they were the right shot, but they were going in. He’s still young and loving the game. I think he’s a world champion in the making. Who knows? It could be this year, but I do think he’ll probably win it at some stage.”
