Iran’s Hossein Vafaei has conceded defeat to his rival from England, Mark Selby, at the 2023 Shanghai Snooker Masters on Wednesday.
The match, which was played in best-of-11 frames format, ended with Selby winning 6-5.
Vafaei, who is ranked number 15 in the world, had a strong start to the match, winning the first two frames.
However, Selby, the world number 2, fought back to level the match at 2-2. The two players then traded frames, with Vafaei taking a 4-3 lead.
In the eighth frame, Selby made a break of 103 to level the match again. The ninth frame was also close, but Selby eventually won it to take a 5-4 lead. Vafaei won the tenth frame to level the match once again, but Selby won the final frame to secure victory.
Vafaei is the first Iranian player to compete in the Shanghai Snooker Masters. He is also the first Iranian player to reach the quarterfinals of a Triple Crown event.
Despite the defeat, Vafaei put in a strong performance and showed that he is capable of competing with the best players in the world.
He will be hoping to build on this performance in the future and continue to improve his ranking.
“I played well, but Selby was just too good. He is a great champion and I am honoured to have played against him.” Vafaei said.
Selby, the world number 1, was pleased with his victory.
“I am happy to get the win. Vafaei is a tough opponent and I had to work hard for it.” he said.
Selby’s victory means that he will face Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
O’Sullivan is the defending champion and is the world number 1. The match is scheduled to be played on Thursday, September 15.
The 2023 Shanghai Snooker Masters is a professional snooker tournament that is being held in Shanghai, China.
The tournament is being played from September 11-17 and is being broadcast live on Eurosport.
