The Iranian debutant had previously made history in the tournament by beating Mark Selby, the three-time Masters champion, 6-2 on Sunday.
“I felt comfortable at 3-3, but missed a yellow with the rest which was very expensive. All credit to Jack, he deserves to win the big titles and I hope he’ll do that. I’m also knocking on the door, you have to gain experience and learn from the other players to win a big tournament. You don’t just come off the streets, pick the cue up and do that. You need to lose until you learn how to win,” Vafaei said.
“I didn’t want this tournament to finish for me because I have enjoyed every second of it. It’s a pleasure to play in front of 2,000 people. I love them all and want to thank them for their support. Even when I lost they clapped for me. Soon I’m going to make them happy and proud. I’m going to practice as hard as I can because I want to be in these big events.”