\n<\/p>\n
Trump had looked in a strong position going into the final session as he held a 9-7 lead, but 31-year-old Vafaei, who came through two qualifying matches and was the only qualifier to win in the first round, fought back well.<\/p>\n
He won six of the nine frames in the final session, making breaks of 106 and 91 to come from 12-11 down to win 13-12.<\/p>\n
Vafaei, the current world number 32, felt he could go all the way in Sheffield, the city he lives in.<\/p>\n
“I’m looking forward to playing anyone – I’m not scared of anyone and all of them know that,” said Vafaei, who plays China’s Wu Yize next.<\/p>\n
“There’s no pressure, so why should I be worried? Some of us are different. When you see the line you get hungry or you get tired, it’s up to you. I came to live in Sheffield to be beside the Crucible. The Crucible trophy is living in my head rent free.<\/p>\n
“It’s one of the biggest wins of my career. I’m looking forward to it against Wu and fancy the job – let’s see how talented he is. I was not nervous, I enjoyed every moment. I was born for these kinds of situations.”<\/p>\n
Trump, the 2019 champion, added: “It hurts but I had my chances. When you know you didn’t play a good shot it’s not like you’ve been unlucky.<\/p>\n
“I’m not angry about it, I just was not good enough.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n