World Grand Prix:
Iran’s Vafaei beaten by world No. 1 Trump in quarterfinals
Iranian snooker sensation Hossein Vafaei missed out on a place in the World Grand Prix last four after suffering a comprehensive 5-0 loss to English world number one Judd Trump in Hong Kong on Friday.
Trump started the last-eight contest with a break of 145 then added efforts of 108 and 115 before knocking in a 146 in the final frame.
A 146 is not seen very often at all, as per TNT Sports commentator Dave Hendon it was only the 37th in professional snooker history and the first Trump has made.
Vafaei – 33rd in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings – was only given a place in the 32-man draw on the eve of the competition, after seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan pulled out of the event for medical reasons.
The 2022 Shoot Out champion had come out victorious over Chinese duo Si Jiahui and Xu Si to set up a quarterfinal with Trump, but had revealed prior to Friday’s game that he had been struggling with an excruciating pain at the prestigious event due to a slipped disc in his upper spine.
“I am playing with one hand, I am in so much pain with my neck and shoulder, but I am always fighting for my fans and I’m delighted for them to win,” the Iranian told World Snooker Tour official website.
“If I pull out, what would I do, sit and watch the others? I want to try. When I sit in my chair, my hand is shaking, my left arm is completely numb and I don’t have any feeling on the shot. Last week I was in Chengdu and I went to hospital there but I didn’t have time for an MRI scan.”