Iran's Vafaei shines at World Snooker Championship

LONDON: Iran’s Hossein Vafaei won nine frames in a row to become the first qualifier to reach the second round at this year’s World Snooker Championship, beating China’s Si Jiahui 10-3.

World number 32 Vafaei made a century and seven more breaks over 50 to set up a meeting with world number one and 2019 world champion Judd Trump on Saturday.

Vafaei, 31, came from 3-1 down in the first session at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Wednesday to lead 6-3 with a top break of 105.

He reached the same stage in 2023 and 2025 and now hopes to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time.

“I am getting a lot of support from home so I am fighting for them,” said Vafaei. “I am just thinking about making them happy.

World Snooker Championship to stay at Crucible until at least 2045

“I am a fan of Si, he is a great player so it’s a fantastic achievement for me to win. Perhaps I was sharp after the qualifiers.”

In 2022 Vafaei became the first Iranian player to win a ranking title with victory in the Shoot Out, and the following year he figured briefly in the top 16.

He said ahead of his opener in Sheffield that he was finding it difficult to focus against the backdrop of the conflict in his home country, which began in February.