There was no big surprise on the second day of the 2022 Turkish Masters, there were some good results though for Iulian Boiko, Ding Junhui, Thepchaiya Un-nooh and Yuan Sijun.

Here are the reports by WST:

Morning and afternoon session

Boiko: Pride Keeps Me Going

Iulian Boiko scored an impressive 5-4 win over Simon Blackwell in the first round of the Nirvana Turkish Masters and admitted that he is spurred on by his pride in representing Ukraine on the World Snooker Tour.

During last week’s BetVictor Welsh Open Boiko spoke to a wide range of media including GMTV and described his emotions. His parents and brothers have successfully escaped Ukraine and are now in Poland, but he still has members of his team and many friends in his home city of Kyiv as the conflict with Russia continues.

After today’s victory, 16-year-old Boiko said: “The Ukrainian nation motivates me to play better and to fight because of what people are going through. I hope I make them a little bit happier by winning. I am doing it for them, they are my inspiration.  I am really motivated and really proud to be Ukrainian. I hope we will get through these difficult times.

“You can’t just ignore the news but then it’s hard to focus on snooker.  It’s really terrible, I can’t put it aside when people are dying. Civilians and people I know are in danger. I wish it would stop. I wish I could help and the only thing that keeps me playing is to play my game and represent Ukraine with pride.”

Boiko arrived in Turkey last weekend and has been comforted by the many kind words and messages he has from others on the tour. He added: “All of the players, the staff, the referees – everyone is really supportive and understanding and I really appreciate that. I love the snooker family, everyone is great.”

Despite making just one break over 50 today, Boiko edged his way through to the last 64 and a match with Andrew Higginson. He said: The match today was scrappy with lots of mistakes but I’m very happy to get the win. I really enjoyed the match and the chance to be part of this tournament, it’s a nice atmosphere. I hope in the next round I will improve my game. My game is only about 30 to 40 per cent of what I can show but I am gaining more experience.”

Ding Junhui, who has slipped to 32nd in the world rankings, earned a much-needed win by coming from 4-1 down to beat Robert Milkins 5-4. China’s Ding knocked in breaks of 131, 105, 81 and 55 in the last four frames as he set up a match with Kyren Wilson, who beat Tian Pengfei 5-1 with a top break of 98.

Iran’s Hossein Vafaei scored a 5-0 victory over Turkish wild card Enes Bakirci with a top run of 75. “I would love to see Turkish players on the main tour,” said BetVictor Shoot Out champion Vafaei. “There are so many fans in Turkey and it’s great to see our sport getting bigger here. There are lots of Iranians in Turkey who have come from Istanbul to watch me play here.

“Winning the Shoot Out has not changed me. Life goes on, you have to stay humble and try to be a people’s champion. Even if I win 100 tournaments I will be the same with the fans.”

Yan Bingtao top scored with 80 in a 5-2 win over Joe O’Connor. Vafaei and Yan are among those battling for a place in the top eight of the one-year ranking list and a place in the Cazoo Tour Championship, and this is the penultimate counting event so every result is crucial.

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh came from 3-0 down to beat Stephen Maguire 5-4, winning a tense deciding frame by laying a snooker on the last red and clearing from the chance that followed.

Luca Brecel, celebrating his 27th birthday today, beat Stuart Carrington 5-1 with a top break of 79, while Zhou Yuelong came from 4-2 down to edge out BetVictor European Masters champion Fan Zhengyi 5-4. Oliver Lines recovered a 50-0 deficit in the decider against Xiao Guodong to clinch victory with a superb 69 clearance.

The way Theppy won this match surprised me in a good way: he actually showed not just great battling qualities, he actually does have a good saftey game when he puts his mind into it!

Hossein Vafaei had it easy against his young wildcard opponent. There were cooments on twitter saying thatthe guy shouldn’t be there, that a minimal standard should be required. I will only say this: Enes Bakirci had probably never played under professional conditions, on a star table, on TV, in front of a big crowd and with the weight of expectations of the home crowd on his shoulders. He probably can play much better than what he showed.

It’s a very useful win for Ding although the fact that he found himself 4-1 down is worrying given his opponent’s previous adventure …

Evening session

Trump Bounces Back From Final Defeat

Despite feeling “drained” having travelled over 2,000 miles since losing in the BetVictor Welsh Open final on Sunday, Judd Trump got his Nirvana Turkish Masters campaign up and running with a 5-0 thumping of Michael Georgiou.

Trump went down 9-5 to Joe Perry in Wales two days ago, and defeat was tough to take as it would have ended a year-long drought without a ranking title, while also putting him top of the BetVictor Series rankings and into the top eight on the one-year list.

Trump and Georgiou drew the biggest crowd of the week so far at the Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel

Shrugging off that disappointment, Trump was determined to get back to the baize and has arrived in Antalya looking for another title challenge. He rolled in breaks of 110, 61 and 75 in a convincing display against Georgiou.

“I have been really tired for the last two days, it’s draining when you reach a final, to keep the momentum going,” said world number three Trump, who meets Chris Wakelin in the last 64 on Wednesday. “I felt flat out there today and I probably will do for the first few rounds. Hopefully I can play my way into the tournament. It’s great to come to new places and nice to be able to forget about Sunday and start a new tournament.

“I expected Joe to play well on Sunday because he had been the best player of the tournament, I just felt I should have got more out of myself. I had a chance to go 5-3 up and missed the boat. He relaxed in the evening session and played a lot better than I did. He thoroughly deserved it.”

Looking ahead to his match with Wakelin, Trump added: “I have had some good games with Chris, he enjoys the limelight and the big occasions. He has proved he can beat the top players.”

Shaun Murphy’s 5-0 success was every bit as emphatic as Trump’s as he beat Lyu Haotian in just 63 minutes with top runs of 64, 59 and 58. Last year’s Crucible finalist Murphy, who is yet to reach the semi-finals of a ranking event this season, is into the last 32 to meet Jimmy Robertson, who came from 2-0 down to beat Cao Yupeng 5-2 with a top break of 81.

Michael Georgiou looked utterly disgusted with himself out there and understandably so. He could easily have gone 2-1 up, instead found himself 3-0 down due to a combination of surprising mistakes and inadequate shot choices. From then on it was one way traffic.

The tournament so far has been marred by various “incidents”. The two top seeds withdrew before it started, the live scores system was off due to technical issues for most of the day yesterday … and Robert Milkins hit the news for all the wrong reasons:

Milkins apologises after drinking session ends in hospital at Turkish Masters

Phil Haigh – Tuesday 8 Mar 2022

Robert Milkins has apologised to snooker bosses after a birthday drinking session saw him cause a scene at the Turkish Masters opening ceremony before ending up in hospital.

The 46-year-old went too far on the birthday booze on Sunday, and then publicly argued with guests at the fancy bash on the eve of the tournament in Antalya.

The Milkman then took a tumble in the toilets, injuring his face and feeling like he broke his ribs, before an exchange with Jason Ferguson, the WPBSA chairman.

Milkins ended up in hospital, having his stomach pumped, but was back on his feet on Tuesday to play his last 64 match against Ding Junhui.

The contest did nothing to improve his mood, taking a 4-1 lead before losing 5-4 to the Chinese icon.

Explaining the incident on Sunday, or at least what he can remember of it, Milkins told The Sun: ‘I drank far too much, and something happened. I genuinely don’t know exactly what and cannot remember details – I was in a state where I didn’t know where I was.

‘It was my birthday and I had been drinking for a long time but that is no excuse and I know that.

‘I don’t remember what happened with the hotel guests or Jason Ferguson – none of it. I can only apologise to any guests I offended that night. I wouldn’t have known who it was. And I have apologised to the organisers and the hotel. It is the first time snooker has come to Turkey and my behaviour was totally out of order.

‘When I got to the toilet I lost my legs and think I hit my chin on the sink or the ground, cutting it open. I was almost knocked out, and I’m pretty sure I have broken ribs. If I had my stomach pumped I don’t remember that either.

‘I can understand why people are embarrassed and concerned and I will have to take whatever punishment I receive. It won’t be happening again.’

Milkins provided some more detail in response to the story on Twitter, saying he had only been drinking for under three hours, but it hit him hard.

‘Weren’t a marathon session pal, only been drinking 2 1/2 hours then all of a sudden was out of it!’ Milkins tweeted.

He added: ‘Not as bad as it’s made to sound pal nobody got hurt apart from myself, and obviously upset a few which I deeply regret. I said sorry to all the Turkish people and World Snooker and they’ve all been great with me!’

Milkins may now face punishment for the incident, with it being reported to the WPBSA disciplinary committee.

I’m a mainland European and there is nothing like the UK drinking culture neither in my home country nor here in Greece where I’m staying now. I like a glass of wine, or two but I really can’t undertand the appeal of getting drunk (usually followed by making a fool of oneself before being sick and hungover for the next couple of days). I really can’t see the fun of it.

On top of that, this is the first time snooker goes to Turkey, a country where the majority of citizens are Muslims, and Islam forbids alcohol consumption. I’m not religious, not at all, and I don’t condone Islam’s stance on many things, notably its stance on women rights and condition, but when you are a guest in a foreign country, it’s basic courtesy to respect its people and customs (within reason of course).

That said, Robert is not a bad guy at all, far from it, and I’m certain that he really is deeply sorry and embarrassed about the whole incident.

Before looking a the matches’ results, I’d like to say a few words about the setup. I do like it. It reminds me of the numerous amateur events I went to that were held in big hotels. The last one I was able to attend was the first WSF Championships in Malta.

It’s usually great both for the players and the fans. Everything is on site, players, referees, officials are all in the same hotel, along with most of the media and many fans who have the opportunity to meet the players outside the context of their matches. There is a feeling of “community” that isn’t there when the actual venue is used only for the matches. Also it usually means that practice is available at the same hotel, and often “open” all day and night …

The setup itself is looking nice in the main arena. The side tables, on the other hand appear to be quite isolated and “dull”. That’s a shame for the players who are playing on those tables. That said, it used to be like that in WST main ranking events years ago before the “open plan” became the norm, at least for UK based events.

Another nice thing to see is the variety of sponsors: the hotel itself, airlines, sports centers, a brand od insecticide, a radio station … that’s refreshingly different from the endless procession of bookies we see in the other events.

Here are the reports by WST:

Afternoon session

Wilson Thrilled With Turkey Trip

Kyren Wilson is hoping for a deep run at the Nirvana Turkish Masters to give himself the chance to enjoy snooker’s first ever tournament in the region and he made the perfect start with a 5-0 victory over Rory McLeod.

Snooker history is made this week with the first pro event in Turkey staged at the outstanding Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel in the beautiful city of Antalya.

World number five Wilson fired breaks of 60, 116, 83, 85 and 100 as he set up a last 64 match with Tian Pengfei. The match lasted just 52 minutes, giving Wilson plenty of time to relax.

“I have really missed trips like this, we get treated like royalty when we come to these countries,” said the Kettering cueman, winner of four ranking titles. “It’s great to see it supported well by new fans. When you are happy and comfortable in the environment then it brings the best out of you. The hotel is fantastic, the food and facilities are amazing and the venue is a lovely set up. I’m going to enjoy the week.

“It was a good start for me today, every time I went into the balls I landed perfect so I’m delighted with my performance. My positional play is improving – in the past I might have had a problem adapting to a new cloth on the TV table, but today I put on good show. My career went to another level when I reached the world final in 2020, since then I have shown a lot of consistency.”

Zhao Xintong had a much tougher match but came from 4-3 down to beat Michael White 5-4 and earn a last 32 clash with Matthew Selt. China’s Zhao made a crucial break of 60 in the last frame, and despite winning two ranking titles already this season he is determined not to lose his hunger for success.

“I don’t want to give my opponent an easy game,” said the world number seven. “I want to keep going and winning matches. I don’t feel any pressure. Even at 4-3 down today I just tried to play my game. Michael White used to be a top 16 player and I hope he will get back there.”

Turkish national champion Ismail Turker made his debut in a pro event but went down 5-0 to Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, whose top break was 101. Martin Gould came from 4-1 down to beat David Grace 5-4, firing runs of 56, 85, 105 and 123 in the last four frames.

Michael Holt, who is in danger of tour relegation this season, scored a crucial 5-4 win over Lukas Kleckers in a match which came down to the final black. After a safety exchange, Holt slotted the black into a centre pocket before punching the air in celebration. Selt edged out Alexander Ursenbacher 5-4 thanks to a 31 clearance in the decider.

The Zhao Xintong vs Michael White match was an entertaining one. Zhao is clearly working on his safety and has become more cautious, maybe a bit too much at times. Michael White really should be on the tour.

Evening session

Higgins Too Strong For ‘Raw’ Emery

John Higgins eased into the last 32 of the Nirvana Turkish Masters with a 5-2 victory, but had plenty of praise for his amateur opponent, Dylan Emery.

Scotland’s Higgins is seeking his first ranking title of the season having lost in three finals, though he did win the invitational BetVictor Championship League last month. The 46-year-old has shown a high level of consistency over the campaign and hopes for a strong run-up to the Crucible over the coming weeks.

Welsh 20-year-old Emery will play on the pro tour for the first time next season having won the European Under-21 Championship and has plenty of potential. He took a scrappy opening frame tonight before Higgins levelled with a break of 106.

The third came down to the colours and Emery converted an excellent long pot on the blue to a baulk corner, but then missed a far easier pink to middle. Higgins went for a long pink and it rattled in the jaws of a top corner before crossing the table and dropping into a centre pocket.

That stroke of good fortune proved a turning point as Higgins pulled away to lead 4-1. Emery made a 55 in frame six as he pulled one back, but Higgins soon sealed the result with a tremendous 128 in the seventh.

“Dylan is getting himself ready for the tour now and he’ll do well there,” said four-time World Champion Higgins, who meets Michael Holt next. “He’s a bit raw now which is understandable, but he has a lot of tools to his game and he could be a very good player. He missed a few tonight and I was lucky to fluke the pink to go 2-1 up. I made a nice break to finish the match.”

Higgins has been to the host city Antalya several times before on holiday, and will be joined by his wife and daughter later in the week. He added: “It’s a lovely place, the people are very welcoming. It was great to see the crowd tonight, the people are so happy to have the top players here.”

The Wishaw cueman also paid tribute to Joe Perry who won a ranking event on UK soil for the first time with victory at the BetVictor Welsh Open. “I’m really pleased for Joe,” he said. “It was a special moment for his mum and dad and he beat some amazing players. It’s great to see him lift a trophy, I’m chuffed to bits for him.”

Amateur Si Jiahui top scored with 106 as he recorded a surprise 5-2 victory over world number 13 Anthony McGill. China’s Si came into the event full of confidence having won the recent WSF Open and took another top 16 scalp, having knocked Shaun Murphy out of the UK Championship earlier in the season.

Chinese rookie Wu Yize impressed in a 5-1 win over Haydon Pinhey, knocking in breaks of 91, 74, 68, 52, 64 and 111.

Wu Yize made the most of the opportunity offered by Mark Selby’s withdrawal. I didn’t see much else yesterday …

Today’s final will be competed between Judd Trump and Joe Perry … as I expected, but it’s  not what I would have loved to see. I would have loved a Jack Lisowski v Hossein Vafaei final.

There was a poll yesterday on twitter about the expected Final’s line-up and I opted for Trump v Perry but I wasn’t in the majority. Indeed the majority expected a Trump v Lisowski final … they probably didn’t watch Joe this week then. Judd also wished to face Jack in the Final … of course he would: he has a 100% record against him in finals and the last two were totally one-sided.

Anyway … here is how the semi-finals unfolded

Judd Trump 6-5 Hossein Vafaei

Trump Fightback Floors Vafaei

Judd Trump staged a superb fightback to beat Hossein Vafaei 6-5 and reach his first BetVictor Welsh Open final since 2017.

The Ace in the Pack is seeking a maiden Welsh Open title tomorrow when he will face either Jack Lisowski or Joe Perry over the best of 17 frames, with the Ray Reardon Trophy on the line.

Bristiolian Trump’s appearance in the 2017 showpiece saw him lose a nerve shredding encounter with Stuart Bingham 9-8. The 22-time ranking event winner will be hoping to get himself over the line tomorrow and earn his first ranking title of the current campaign.

Trump’s run to the final this week boosts his hopes of earning a place at the Tour Championship. Only the best eight players on this season’s one-year list earn a place at the prestigious event. Trump arrived at the ICC Wales in 17^thspot, but he would move into the top eight if he were to win tomorrow.

Vafaei will be bitterly disappointed to surrender a 5-3 advantage this afternoon. However, reaching the semis enhances an impressive few weeks for the Iranian. He became the first player from his country to lift ranking silverware at the recent BetVictor Shoot Out.

Breaks of 94 and 85 helped Vafaei into a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval this afternoon. Trump claimed the fifth when play got back underway, before restoring parity at 3-3 by winning the sixth on the black.

From there Vafaei made the first move for the line with two on the bounce to move 5-3 ahead. However, following an afternoon in which he toiled for long periods, Trump summoned his best just when required.

The 2019 World Champion conjured runs of 66 and 121 to force a decider, which he controlled to earn a place in the title match.

Trump said: “I think he will be disappointed. He was the better player and his safety was brilliant. Every time I came to the table I seemed to be in trouble and his potting was better than mine. I don’t know how I got through that one in the end. I just saved my best until last.

“It has been a season where I haven’t come from behind and won those games. When I did go 5-3 down I told myself in my chair that the events I have won haven’t been plain sailing. I tried to remember that and stay as positive as possible.

“It was an incredible atmosphere. Just before the final frame started it felt like a smaller version of the Masters. Every time you go to a new venue you never are sure what the crowd will be like. The turnout for every round has been unbelievable. Whether it is early games or late games they are there supporting and really getting behind the players.”

Hossein will indeed be disappointed. He should have won that match but finals are still new territory for him and hopefully he will learn from this. He won the shoot-out of course, but this was something else, this was a longer match, with an unfolding story and the psychology is completely different.

Joe Perry 6-5 Jack Lisowski

Perry Clinches Ranking Final Return

Joe Perry is through to a ranking event final for the first time in almost four years, after holding off a Jack Lisowski fightback to win 6-5 and reach the title match at the BetVictor Welsh Open.

Tomorrow’s showpiece clash will see 2015 Players Champion Perry take on 2019 World Champion Judd Trump over 17 frames for the Ray Reardon Trophy and a top prize of £70,000.

Perry is in search of his second piece of ranking silverware, in what will be his first ever ranking final on UK soil. The Gentleman’s last appearance in a final came at the 2018 European Masters in Belgium, where he was defeated 9-6 by Jimmy Robertson.

To this point, Cambridge cueman Perry has struggled with his form throughout this season and has slipped to 42^nd position in the world rankings.

However, he has dramatically turned that around in this event and has negotiated a treacherous path to the final. Perry has defeated David Gilbert, Cao Yupeng, Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson, Ricky Walden and Lisowski thus far.

Defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for 30-year-old Lisowski, who came through a fiercely contested clash with Ali Carter 5-4 yesterday to make the last four. However, he can take solace from a first semi-final appearance in what has otherwise been a disappointing season so far.

The match began with a fragmented first frame which stretched 29 minutes, until eventually going the way of Perry. He solidified his position by taking the following two, before Lisowski claimed the fourth to head into the mid-session with Perry leading 3-1.

When play got back underway, Lisowski pulled within one thanks to a contribution of 69, but Perry restored his two frame cushion with 64 in the sixth to lead 4-2.

Lisowski refused to wilt and a break of 69 then pulled him back within a frame at 4-3. However, it was Perry who claimed the eighth to move one from victory.

Perry had the first chance in the next to get himself over the line, but a missed black off the spot saw him break down on 15. Lisowski ruthlessly stepped up and hammered home a run of 71 to make it 5-4. It was soon 5-5 when a stunning 122 break restored parity and forced a final frame.

Despite Lisowski carrying the momentum, 47-year-old Perry halted him in his tracks and controlled the decider to earn his place in the final. Afterwards, Perry admitted to feeling ill throughout the match and signalled his relief at still managing to clinch the win.

Perry said: “I love playing Jack Lisowski, I enjoy the moment, the challenge and watching him play. I just couldn’t enjoy it tonight because I didn’t feel right. My head was hurting, my eyes were stinging and when I looked down the cue my eyes couldn’t focus on what they should have been.

“I put myself in the same bracket as people like Mark Davis and Mark King. We’ve been around a long time, haven’t won barely anything but we have been at the top of the game for the best part of 30 years. We are putting the work in, but we aren’t working to get better as our game is what it is. It just goes to show that you have to practise though. You can’t just turn up and play, the tour is so tough from top to bottom. I knew that, but I didn’t do anything about it. I have been for the last two or three months.

“I’d love to add Judd to the list of people I have beaten this week. I have to work hard mentally to put today out of my head. It was a poor performance, Jack did come back at me but I blagged my way through. I need to put that to one side and focus on the other matches. I was focussed in them and the other great players I was against played quite well. I had to be at my best to beat them and I was. I have to bring that out tomorrow.”

I’m glad for Joe who had been the best player in the tournament up to the SF stage. It would have been cruel if he had been defeated by illness yesterday. Hopefully he will be fully fit today.

But I love Jack too and the current circumstances must be difficult for him: indeed his grandfather was a Ukrainian displaced person who settled in England at the end of World War II. Jack was sporting and Ukrainian flag on his shirt yesterday.

These are WST reports on the QF round yesterday in Newport, Wales

Afternoon session

Lisowski Blitz Overhauls Carter

Jack Lisowski admitted his three frame burst to beat Ali Carter 5-4 from 4-2 down was one of the “biggest buzzes” of his career, as he reached the semi-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open.

The Gloucestershire cueman has struggled to produce his top form this season, having only made one other quarter-final prior to this week at the UK Championship. However, Lisowski summoned his dazzling best in crossing the line this afternoon.

Lisowski reached three of his six career ranking finals last season, but is yet to register a maiden piece of professional silverware. He will be hoping that all changes this weekend. Jackpot will be up against either Ricky Walden or Joe Perry in the last four.

This afternoon’s defeat extends 2009 Welsh Open winner Carter’s recent woes in the event. The Captain went on a fine run to the quarter-finals last year, but was forced to withdraw from a clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan after suffering migraines.

The opening stages of today’s encounter were hard fought, but the pair emerged having shared the first four to head into the mid-session locked level at 2-2.

When play resumed it was Carter who made the first big move, taking the fifth and sixth with breaks of 86 and 53 to move 4-2 ahead. However, from there Lisowski produced a devastating run for the line. After swiftly securing the seventh frame, he fired in contributions of 85 and 135 to make it three on the bounce and wrap up the win.

“It was probably one of my biggest buzzes since I’ve been a pro. Everything started going in, I can’t even remember the break at the end,” said 30-year-old Lisowski. “It was such a rush and to beat Ali, in a decider, is very satisfying. I know how hard it is.

“After the interval I was going backwards and he was the stronger player. I knew I had to change something. I felt like I was too close to the ball so I held the cue quarter of an inch further back. I’ve never tried that, but everything started going in. I now know that if you hold the cue further back you will be flying!”

Judd Trump continued his quest for a first ranking win of the season, by defeating Masters champion Neil Robertson 5-3 to book his place in the semi-finals.

The Ace in the Pack last lifted ranking silverware at the 2021 Gibraltar Open. However, he did become the Champion of Champions earlier this season.

A strong showing this week could strengthen 22-time ranking event winner Trump’s bid for a place at the upcoming Tour Championship. Only the top eight players on the one-year list will be in attendance in Llandudno. Trump is currently 16^th in the live standings.

Bristolian Trump stormed to 4-1 advantage this afternoon, before Robertson clawed his way back into proceedings.  The Australian came from behind to win the sixth on the final black and then went on to move within a frame at 4-3.

However, Trump stamped out any hopes of a fightback by crossing the line by winning the eighth with breaks of 31 and 39. He extends his head-to-head lead over Robertson to 13-10.

Trump will now face either Iran’s Hossein Vafaei or China’s Zhang Anda for a place in the final.

Evening session

Vafaei Stages Stunning Fightback

Iran’s Hossein Vafaei came back from the brink at 4-1 down to defeat China’s Zhang Anda 5-4 and reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Welsh Open.

Vafaei is now through to the fifth ranking semi-final of his career, where he will face 2019 World Champion Judd Trump. This is the second time Vafaei has reached a semi-final in this particular event, the first came in 2019 when he was defeated 6-0 by Neil Robertson.

He will be hoping to fare better this time around against Trump, having arrived at the ICC Wales this week with a whole new mindset. Vafaei made history last month by becoming the first Iranian to win a ranking title at the BetVictor Shoot Out, he is now just two wins away from doubling his silverware tally.

Following his success at the Shoot Out, Vafaei is currently in 8^th position in the live BetVictor European Series Standings. The player who collects the most prize money over the eight qualifying events scoops a bumper £150,000 bonus. If he were to win the title this week he would go to pole position with only the BetVictor Gibraltar Open to go.

This evening’s encounter had appeared to be going the way of Zhang, when breaks of 108 and 67 helped him to establish a 4-1 advantage. However, from that point Vafaei wrested the momentum and turned the match on its head. Breaks of 68, 55, 63 and 96 saw him surge to four consecutive frames and emerge the 5-4 victor.

“It was unbelievable. This is one of the tastiest comebacks I’ve ever had in my life,” said 27-year-old Vafaei.

“If you say to any player about being 4-1 down, they will know how hard it is to win from there. As soon as I started this tournament I wasn’t showing good performances at all. Whatever happens, I accept it as a challenge. I am trying to enjoy it.

“Winning the Shoot Out gave me so much belief. I actually did it and the hard work paid off. That is why I can believe. I am the kind of player that can win five or six frames in a row as soon as I get into rhythm. The Shoot Out showed me that I can do it.”

Joe Perry is through to his first semi-final since 2019, after scoring a comprehensive 5-2 win over Ricky Walden.

The Gentleman had been enduring one of his worst seasons in recent memory prior to a recent revival in his form. His first appearance in the last 32 of a ranking event this season only came last week at the BetVictor European Masters.

Perry has negotiated a difficult draw in this event, beating David Gilbert, Cao Yupeng, Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson on his way to the quarters.

Walden came into this evening’s encounter full of confidence after scoring an impressive 4-3 defeat of six-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan yesterday evening. However, it was former Players Champion Perry who dominated proceedings.

The Cambridge cueman composed breaks of 51 and 118 on his way to victory and will now face Jack Lisowski in the last four.

Of all the players still in action at this stage, Joe Perry is the one who impressed me the most. Unless Jack manages to out-pot him completely I can see him reaching the final and give whoever he would face there a very strong challenge.

That said, Jack’s comeback is an encouraging sign for his fans. Finally, he seems to be learning how to win when things get though.

Neil Robertson played terrible, and in his “normal” form should have won his QF match comfortably because Judd Trump didn’t convince me at all. But of course, he will grow in confidence with every win.

Regarding his poor performance, here is what Neil had to say:

…
“Hit by a truck with the news just leaving my hotel about Shane Warne,” Robertson told Eurosport. “National hero, an idol of mine growing up as a kid and was fortunate to meet him.

“The worst news would be a family member, but as close to, and as much as I tried today I could not do anything.

“My arm felt heavy, my head felt heavy on my shoulders sitting in the chair.

“The more I tried to delete what happened overnight from my brain, the more it was in there and I just could not concentrate. I could not think properly and could not do anything.

“An awful situation for myself to be in as waking up this morning I felt really good and looking forward to the match.

“I felt deflated and could not get anything going.”

…

“I fought well and tried hard, I even had a chance to make it 4-4 when 99 times out of 100 I would make it 4-4, but I just felt terrible coming to the table,” he said. “I have never felt like that before, so I can’t really compare it to anything else playing professional snooker. It is just awful.“

Robertson says the whole nation will be grieving for a national hero.

“All of Australia will be in mourning,” Robertson said. “It is devastating, he is our national hero.

“What he did for a couple of decades for Australia and for cricket around the world.

“This is like when [Diego] Maradona died for Argentineans. This is as bad as it gets.”

…