The Iranian has had some moments in the spotlight this season, with his 5-0 win over Ronnie O’Sullivan in qualifying for the German Masters one of the shocks of the season.
His swashbuckling style would appear well suited to the demands of the Shoot Out, and he showed as such in his win over Devlin.
Vafaei looked all business as he came to the table, and he pounced on a safety error from Devlin to knock in a brilliant 123 – the 25th century break in Shoot Out history.
“He really is a good player,” Neal Fould, English former professional snooker player, said. “The crowd have been quiet, but they have enjoyed this.
“They said they wanted a century and they got one.”
Vafaei was a little taken aback by the form he produced against Devlin.
“It is such an honor to be here. I don’t know where it came from, but I played great,” Vafaei said on Eurosport.