O’sullivan falls to Iran’s Vafaei in World Open last 16 upset

In a surprising turn of events at the World Open in China, the world's number one snooker player, Ronnie O'Sullivan, faced a shocking defeat against Hossein Vafaei in the last 16 round. The intense match saw O'Sullivan rallying with a spectacular break of 125 in the eighth frame, evening the score to 4-4 at the Yushan arena. However, a crucial miss on a black ball in the final frame proved to be decisive, allowing Vafaei to seize the opportunity and secure a 5-4 victory. Looking ahead, Vafaei is set to take on Ding Jinhui in the quarter-finals. Reflecting on his triumph, Vafaei expressed admiration for his opponent, stating, "He's my hero. Just playing against O'Sullivan is a dream come true, never mind winning." In other matches, 2019 World Open champion Judd Trump emerged victorious with a 5-3 win against David Lilley, setting up a quarter-final clash against Kyren Wilson. Meanwhile, world number two Trump aims for his fifth title of the season before the upcoming World Championships in Sheffield. However, Stephen Maguire couldn't replicate his previous success against reigning world champion Luca Brecel, suffering a 5-1 loss to Barry Hawkins. Hawkins now prepares to face Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals following Robertson's 5-1 win against Chris Wakelin. Jackson Page, following his 5-2 victory against Mark Selby, will face Elliot Slessor in the next round, with Slessor advancing after defeating Daniel Wells in the last 16.