Hossein Vafaei under scrutiny for ‘unwise’ 147 decision against Ding Junhui at World Snooker Championship 2023

Hossein Vafaei’s “unwise” decision to chase a 147 in his World Championship first-round match against Ding Junhui could be perceived as an “insult”, according to Eurosport expert Neal Foulds.

Having trailed 5-4 coming into the session, he rattled off three quick-fire frames behind breaks of 117, 122 and 68 as he threatened to take total control of the match.

In frame 13 he had potted eight reds and eight blacks to open up a 56-point lead and set up a maximum opportunity. However, he ran out of position and despite not having won the frame, he played an exhibition shot to get the ball up an down through baulk to get position on the black to continue his maximum tilt.

It was an effort that Foulds on commentary called a “sensational” shot, but he also added it was “unwise with the frame up for grabs”, adding that Ding might see it as an “insult”.

And so it proved as Vafaei then missed the black off the spot to allow Ding back to the table.

“I can’t believe what I am seeing,” said Foulds after Vafaei’s round-the-table shot to get back on the black. “It is a sensational shot but perhaps unwise with the frame up for grabs.

“He is trying to pot reds and blacks – I think he has made his intentions very known. Incredible shot.

“Ding might take this as a bit of an insult – if a chance came, he might feel that he could still win this frame if he ever gets back to the table.”

Vafaei then missed the black.

“There you are,” said Foulds as the crowd gasped. “Maybe that was an unwise shot selection. He is having fun but he has a match to win.”

“And he’s a long way from clinching the frame,” added Eurosport’s Phil Studd. “Failing on 57 – maybe he got a bit carried away there. It is the first ball he has missed in live play that has been pottable.”

Foulds added that Vafaei should be wary of enraging the snooker gods.

“I don’t know about this frame but he doesn’t want to enrage the snooker gods by taking liberties.”

Ding would miss the red that the Iranian left allowing Vafaei to get back to the table open up a 8-5 lead. However, Ding would claim the next frame and Foulds revisited the idea of respect during a clearance of 77.

“Sometimes that can come back to bite you,” said Foulds. “It didn’t at the time but is there any way it is going to rattle Ding’s cage and make him annoyed? That he almost disrespected the opposition slightly.”

At the conclusion of the frame, Foulds added: “If you are in his [Ding’s] corner, and he has people there with him, I’d have said, ‘look, don’t allow someone to just practice 147 breaks against you, that’s an insult.”

The incident didn’t prove costly for Vafaei as he continued his fine form to win 10-6 and set up a second-round clash with defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

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