Snooker star Vafaei stuns Crucible with ‘disrespectful move’ at Ronnie O’Sullivan as pundit slams it as ‘really silly’

SNOOKER star Hossein Vafaei was slammed for his “silly” break-off against rival Ronnie O’Sullivan at the world championships.

Iranian Vafaei, 28, labelled seven-time world champion O’Sullivan “disrespectful” after he smashed the reds up during their clash two years ago.

Hossein Vafaei struck the cue ball hard from the break-off

He split the reds apart with the opening ball of the frame

It left them spread out much like how Ronnie O’Sullivan’s break-off two years ago

O’Sullivan did not seem fazed by Vafaei’s conduct at the start of the second frame

Vafaei sat down with a smirk on his face

But he hit back at the Brit during the first session of their second round clash at the Crucible on Friday by breaking off in the same manner.

And he was slammed by snooker legends Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis.

Hendry said: “Before he got down to break-off, he looked up to presumably one of his friends in the crowd and smiled. It is obviously a pre-meditated break-off.

“It is what Ronnie did to him in a match. Silly really to get involved in that. It’s the world championship. What was he hoping to achieve there? Ronnie won’t care. Not good, not clever.

“Ronnie doesn’t need any more incentive than he has already got. But surely there is some regret from Hossein and that break off?”

Before Davis added: “It is not good to see. It is not disrespectful to Ronnie but maybe to the game and people who have come to watch a good game. It is not nice, it is not good.

“Snooker is not a personal game. Your problem is the table and the balls not your opponent.”

Commentator John Virgo then said: “That is a first for me. I cannot believe he has played a shot like that in the biggest match of his career.

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“I don’t know what he was trying to prove. What he has done is sit down and watch the maestro in action. You could say he has had the best seat in the house.”

An analyst then added: “Before he got up to break off he looked up at what I can only presume was one of his friends in the audience and gave a smile.

“It’s obviously a pre-meditated break-off because Ronnie did it to him in a match.

“Silly really to get involved in that because it’s the world championship.”

Speaking ahead of the Crucible clash, Vafaei did not mince his words when discussing O’Sullivan.

He said: “Listen, Ronnie disrespected me before. Now God has given me an opportunity for revenge.

“I said that to God myself: ‘If you make that happen, I’ll do the same that he did to me’.

“That wasn’t nice at all. Play like a man. Don’t play mind games or smash balls and disrespect me, especially when 70-80 million are watching me in Iran.

“I don’t have anything to fear or anything to lose. I’m not scared of this guy.

“If I beat my hero — well he used to be my hero — I’m going to be dangerous.

“I respect him just in snooker. Outside of snooker, he’s such a normal person for me. That’s it.

“You want to learn from him. But I was learning bad things more than good.”