Ronnie O’Sullivan THRASHES trash-talking Vafaei with blistering performance

RUTHLESS Ronnie O’Sullivan thrashed trash-talking Hossein Vafaei with his best Crucible second-round display for 21 years.

But the barmy Vafaei – who unnecessarily slagged off O’Sullivan pre-match – admits he regrets his ‘BREAK OF GOD’ which marred Friday’s first session.

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The Rocket fired-in three centuries, including the 1200th of his stellar career, as he crushed the Iranian 13-2 with a session to spare at the World Snooker Championship.

Despite the spicy war of words, the pair hugged each other at the end and walked off arm-in-arm, laughing and joking, following this empathic demolition job.

Not since he crushed Robert Milkins by the same scoreline in 2002 had the Essex potter enjoyed such a brilliant performance in the last 16 of this event.

It was spell-binding stuff – even though Vafaei clearly lost his head on Saturday – and O’Sullivan will now play Luca Brecel in Tuesday’s quarter-finals in his 100th Crucible match.

Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, 47, said: “I was pleased with how I played.

“It’s the world championships, these are the tournaments you put everything into. I’m giving my best.

“Hopefully we are friends now. We are fine.

“When Hossein said what he did, in the back of my mind it did help me, but I didn’t take it personally.

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“When I hear people doubt me, whoever it is, maybe a commentator, I take it as a motivation to prove that I’m still good and play this game.

“Quarter-finals don’t excite me. It is all about winning – there is no in-between.”

For Vafaei, it was the worst display on TV screens by a ‘Prince’ since Prince Andrew’s car-crash interview several years ago.

World No23 Vafaei defended the crazy way he began frame two when he smashed the pack in a pool-style manner, a manoeuvre that was slammed as “embarrassing” and “stupid” by Steve Davis.

It was, Vafaei reckons, a way of getting back at O’Sullivan for doing the same tactic in their previous encounter in October 2021.

The 28-year-old said: “Yes, I do regret it. I didn’t tell anyone beforehand 100 per cent. It was something between me and my God.

“I said: ‘Please God, give me that opportunity to put that back again. It’s in my mind, it’s in my chest.’

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“I gave him what he gave me at the German Masters.

“We hugged at the end. He said: ‘It’s all done, let’s be friends again together.’

“There’s nothing there anymore. We are all a family. It is just that sometimes in a family you have argument.

“He played fantastic. I lost to the greatest ever who played this game.

“Do I regret what I said? No. Everywhere you look, snooker was top of the news.

“Without me snooker is a boring place. I don’t like to be boring like 128 players, who come and have no story to tell.”

Meanwhile, Jak Jones became the first debutant to make the Crucible last eight since Anthony McGill eight years ago.

The Welsh qualifier, 29, notched three centuries, including a 138, as he won 13-7 against 2010 world champion Neil Robertson.

The man without a confirmed nickname will take on Mark Allen, the No3 seed, with both men aiming to make the one-table set-up.

Allen needed just 16 minutes to secure the one frame he required in the morning session to eliminate Stuart Bingham 13-4.