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 remarkable composure, firing a break of 91 in the 25th frame to secure victory and advance to the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
Trump, who was aiming to add to his 2019 title, had led 10-7 and 12-11, but Vafaei refused to be denied. The beaming Iranian received a warm congratulation from Trump and a standing ovation from the Crucible 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."
In another dramatic match, Ronnie O'Sullivan admitted he got what he deserved after seeing his attempt for a record-breaking eighth Crucible crown shattered by a stunning comeback from John Higgins. O'Sullivan twice led by five frames, 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 win.
O'Sullivan shrugged off his loss and revealed he had booked a flight back to his base in Ireland for Monday morning, having been convinced before the match that he would lose with a session to spare. "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 had looked out of sorts early on, trailing 8-3 and then 9-4, forced a rare show of frustration from O'Sullivan as he chipped back to a 9-7 overnight deficit. In the final session, he turned on the style, firing three centuries en route to 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."
Meanwhile, Mark Selby branded the playing surface "horrific" after a 13-11 defeat by China's Wu Yize. Selby drew on his years of experience to push Wu all the way but expressed his frustration afterwards. "I felt like the conditions were the worst I've experienced here at the world championship." Despite the loss, Selby praised Wu's potential, saying, "He's great for our game, he's great to watch and very, very attacking. I think he's a world champion in the making."
