Hossein Vafaei warned by referee after angrily slamming cue down during UK Championship loss to Jack Lisowski
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 18/11/2022 at 09:48 GMT
Hossein Vafaei was overcome with frustration during his 6-2 loss to Jack Lisowski in the UK Championship last 16. The Iranian smashed his cue against the ground after missing a relatively simple yellow in the eighth frame, receiving a warning from the referee. Stream the 2022 UK Championship and more top snooker action live and on-demand on on discovery+.
'He's really annoyed' - Vafaei slams cue into floor in frustration
Hossein Vafaei allowed his frustration to get the better of him during his 6-2 loss to Jack Lisowski in the UK Championship last 16.
Trailing 5-2 in the match and 55-40 in the frame, the Iranian missed what looked a simple yellow to effectively concede defeat.
Clearly angered, Vafaei slammed his cue on the floor at the Barbican as he made his way back to his seat.
The referee Leo Scullion gave him a warning for his reaction.
“Wow, what happened there,” exclaimed Eurosport commentator Dominic Dale.
“Has he got a cue left?”
David Hendon added: “Well, the cue has gone down pretty sharply there.
“That cue has taken a bit of a battering tonight, hasn’t it? And the referee is just telling him to calm down. Just a quiet word from Leo Scullion.”
Leading 46-0 in the sixth frame, Vafaei also slammed the bottom of his cue into the ground after missing a red to the corner pocket.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/11/17/3491969-71186553-2560-1440.jpg)
‘That’s just terrific!’ - Ridiculous pot from Lisowski
Earlier in the week, Vafaei had admitted he was struggling to focus on snooker amid protests and civil unrest in his native Iran.
The 28-year-old is the first professional player from Iran and is currently ranked No. 20 in the world.
Vafaei appeared in good form after seeing off Mark Selby in the first-round, but was clearly second-best as he came up against an in-form Lisowski.
It wasn't the first time in the match his cue took some punishment, as he slammed it into the ground in the sixth frame after missing a red.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/11/17/3491982-71186813-2560-1440.jpg)
'He's really annoyed' - Vafaei slams cue into floor in frustration
“To be honest with you, knowing what is going on in my head, I don’t know how I’m playing," Vafaei told Metro.co.uk. “I don’t want to celebrate, I don’t want to say I’m happy when I win because of my people.
“Some of them text me saying I shouldn’t play now, I shouldn’t play out of respect, but what should I do? I need to have my life as well, life goes on. I am supporting my people, I am with them, but what can I do?
“This is not in my hands, there’s nothing I can do but be a voice for them. I’ve done my best for them, I don’t know what to do more.
“I don’t know. I’m always with my people. But at the moment, with the news, everyone is asking me if I’ve seen what’s going on in Iran. Of course I know what’s going on in my country, but what can I do, as a young person?
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to get involved in politics. The politics involves me every time, but I just hope peace comes back to the people as soon as possible and I see them happy again. This is the only thing I can wish and say to my people.”
Asked about his own family and friends, he added: “Everyone is okay, everyone’s safe. The news you follow here, you don’t know exactly what it is showing, but sometimes I watch the news and I cry. They are my sisters, they are my brothers. When you see someone dying obviously it’s not nice.”
Vafaei first featured at the UK Championship in 2015. His best finish was when reaching the fourth round last year.
- - -
Stream the 2022 UK Championship and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement