But speaking just minutes after his defeat, Trump reflected on being millimetres away from victory, only to be eliminated, and said: “It’s [snooker] cruel but I think the screw shot back on the black, I should have been better on that and it would have taken the cannon out of play.
“I was not good enough tonight really. I had my chances. I played well to get back to 12-11 up then he made a good break to go 12-12. I had a good chance in the last frame but just ran out of position, really.
“It follows the pattern of the season. I’ve had chances in deciders but just not been clinical. Under pressure it’s just not been good enough. My positional play has been quite lapse and maybe overthinking things a little bit.
“There was probably a bit of a lack of confidence when I’ve not won as much or been as clinical in the utmost pressure. This season follows a pattern. Overall, nothing to complain about. There’s no excuses. I gave it my all and Hossein made two amazing breaks in the last two frames. Hopefully he goes on to win it.”
Vafaei described the result as the “biggest win of my career” and asked God for help in his bid to overcome Trump at the Crucible.
“I respect his [Trump’s] game and him off the table and on the table,” Vafaei said. “Today, I played a little bit better than yesterday. I was also managing the game a little better than before.
“I said if it’s my tournament it’s going to happen. I said ‘God please help me. Where are you father, show me something’ as well. I wanted to be a little bit calmer and more relaxed. Before I was a little bit more exciting and when I go to the match I was a completely different person. It’s better to sometimes to let the game come out.
“Now I play Wu Yize. Fantastic! He is on the of the talented guys and such an amazing talent. I cannot wait to play him and see how good he is.”