Sensational! Qualifier knocks World #1 out of Snooker World Championship

World Ranking Number 1 Judd Trump came to Sheffield with a second title on his mind, but in his way stood his good friend Hossein Vafaei, who only reached the tournament via the qualifiers. Their friendship proved no obstacle for fiery snooker action, as the Crucible crowd watched in awe as the duo headed towards a dramatic finish.

Only ranked #32 in the world, Vafaei had never been further than the 2nd round in the World Snooker Championship. However, his first round performance against Si Jiahui had already shown signs of greatness, as he was the only qualifier to eliminate a seeded player in the 1st round.

Despite playing with heart, Trump was still on top 9-7 going into tonight's final session. The 2019 World Champion grew his lead by a frame to start things off on Monday night, but Vafaei turned things around with a 4-frame streak.

"The Juddernaut" realized things were about to get serious, and battled back with two frames of his own, taking a 12-11 lead to bring himself just one frame away from the quarter-finals. Iran's snooker star Vafaei remained unphased, potting a century break of 106 to tie things up.

With everything on the line, the 31-year old Iranian stepped up, making another beautiful break of 91 to clinch a spot in the quarter-finals. Mark Selby's bane Wu Yize is up next, so we'll be seeing at least one surprise package in the semi-finals this year.

- I wasn't nervous at all, I enjoyed every single minute out there. I was born for moments like these, and I can't be World Champion if I can't handle these kinds of situations. The trophy is living rent-free in my mind at all times, Vafaei told the adoring Crucible crowd, who gave him a standing ovation as he left.

- This was a great feeling against the world number one. I love Judd, we're good friends and I respect him a lot. He told me I have to believe that I can go all the way, so that's what I hope I can do. Now I don't care who I'm playing next, they should care who they're playing next, Iran's pride finished with a bit of spice.

You can enjoy the moment Vafaei got over the line in the 12-12 decider via the video below.





Below you can find all the results from the 2nd round of the World Snooker Championship.




Source: WST