Iran’s Hossein Vafaei gained 9 frames in a row to turn out to be the primary qualifier to achieve the second spherical at this 12 months’s World Snooker Championship, beating China’s Si Jiahui 10-3.
World quantity 32 Vafaei made a century and 7 extra breaks over 50 to arrange a gathering with world primary and 2019 world champion Judd Trump on Saturday.
Vafaei, 31, got here from 3-1 down within the first session at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Wednesday to steer 6-3 with a high break of 105.
He reached the identical stage in 2023 and 2025 and now hopes to progress to the quarter-finals for the primary time.
“I get lots of help from dwelling so I’m preventing for them,” mentioned Vafaei. “I’m simply fascinated with making them glad.
“I’m a fan of Si, he is a good participant so it is a incredible achievement for me to win. Maybe I used to be sharp after the qualifiers.”
In 2022 Vafaei grew to become the primary Iranian participant to win a rating title with victory within the Shoot Out, and the next 12 months he figured briefly within the high 16.
He mentioned forward of his opener in Sheffield that he was discovering it troublesome to focus in opposition to the backdrop of the battle in his dwelling nation, which started in February.
