IRANIAN star Hossein Vafaei spoke of “fighting for my people” after a gripping Crucible clash saw him edge Judd Trump in a final-frame decider to reach his first World Snooker Championship quarter-final on Wednesday. 

Six hours after Ronnie O’Sullivan was also sent packing 13-12 by John Higgins, Vafaei reeled in a 9-7 overnight deficit then turned on the style when it mattered as breaks of 106 and 91 edged him over the line.

It was the same old story for world number one Trump, who is still searching for his second title after his initial breakthrough in 2011, as he squandered a hatful of chances including a 25-point lead in the decider when he had looked a heavy favourite to reach the last eight.

“It was a disappointing session tonight, I think I struggled a bit but from 11-10 down I got going and I had great chance in the last, but I ran out of position and that sums up my season really,” said Trump.

“I’ve had good chances throughout the whole season and just not taken them. It hurts but I had my chance and I’ve got nothing to be angry about. I just wasn’t good enough. I wanted to win out there but as you get older you learn to be a little bit more chilled.”

Vafaei will next face China’s rising star Wu Yize Wednesday, who also contributed to a day of upsets by sinking four-time champion Mark Selby 13-11.

And as the big names continue to scatter, the Iranian world number 32 is adamant he has every chance of continuing his run deeper in the tournament, insisting: “Some of us are different. When you see the line you get hungry or you get tired, it’s up to you.

“I don’t know [whether] to be happy. I don’t know [whether] to be sad,” Vafaei said. “I don’t know what to do.

“It’s just, this is the only thing I can do. With my cue, I can do something for them to make them happy at least. To show that the Iran flag is there … and you still can’t raise it.”

Vafaei said he has found it hard to focus on snooker because of concerns about the safety of his family during the war.

“I was getting sometimes sad, with what’s happening,” he said. “And I don’t want to open up, but yes, I decided to fight, fight for my people, and all the Iranians all over the world.

“And hopefully I can make them happy.”

Four-time winner Selby cut a frustrated figure as he slipped to defeat and afterwards he criticised the “horrific” state of the Crucible table.

Selby branded his own performance “pathetic” and added: “I felt like the conditions were the worst I’ve experienced here at the World Championship, for sure.

“It’s not the reason I lost that match, but it’s disappointing to come to a tournament that is the pinnacle of our sport and think the conditions are going to play really well and they’re not.

“In my first game against Jak Jones I felt like the table was absolutely horrific. It was tough. I know they [the table-fitters] did the best job possible, but something needs to happen because it’s so inconsistent from one tournament to the next.”

It was plain to see that neither player was at their best, with Selby compiling a match-best 95 to keep himself in with a chance at 12-10, while the normally free-scoring Wu did not muster a half-century on Monday until the chiselled-out 53 that finally got him over the line.

A World Snooker Tour spokesperson said: “There are always challenges in providing the best possible conditions for players as there are many factors which affect this.

“Our dedicated team of table-fitters work tirelessly in delivering the best possible conditions and they are constantly monitoring the tables. We have systems in place where players can give feedback after every match.”