Vafaei had defeated Belgian Julian Leclerq 4-3 in last 64.
Mark Selby was the defending champion, having defeated Luca Brecel 9–6 in the 2022 final, but he lost 2–4 to Martin O'Donnell in the last 64.
The 2023 English Open is a professional snooker tournament that is taking place from October 2 to 8 at the Brentwood Centre in Brentwood, England.