Mark Selby was gracious in defeat as he fell to a narrow 4-3 loss against Hossein Vafaei in the Welsh Open.
The Iranian prevailed to reach the quarter-finals, lining up against Scott Donaldson for a place in the last four.
And Leicester potter Selby was quick to praise Vafaei, who he has backed to make it to the top of the sport.
“He’s not been in that situation many times, for him to clear with the composure he did to get to a quarter-final, he’s obviously showed he’s got what it takes to get to the top,” said Selby.
“I’ve always rated him. He’s doing well to climb up the rankings with the minimum amount of tournaments he’s playing.
“All credit to him in the end.”
Watch the Welsh Open LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, with analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here