RONNIE O'SULLIVAN will need to overcome bitter rival Hossein Vafaei to progress to the next round – and the snooker legend is is 6-2 up.
The sporting icon is well on course to making it a record-breaking eight World Snooker Championship triumphs this year.
And victory against Vafaei should feel sweet after the Iranian's "disrespectful move" in the first session.
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- Rob Maul
That is the end of session one
Ronnie O'Sullivan heads for the exit door 6-2 up after the opening session.
The Rocket had chances to move 7-1 ahead but he was shaking his head after missing a pink with the rest.
Nonetheless, he could wrap up victory on Saturday afternoon if he win seven of the eight frames on offer.
That is possible and it would mean he would have Sunday off.
Hossein Vafaei sunk the final pink to put a second frame on the board.
The pair fist-bumped and they will return tomorrow at 2.30pm.
Meanwhile on table two, Mark Allen is 12-4 up against Stuart Bingham and needs just one more frame to move into the quarter-finals.
- Rob Maul
On table two…
No.3 seed Mark Allen is running riot here and leads 12-3 against Stuart Bingham.
He only needs one more frame to clinch passage to the quarter-finals.
That could come this afternoon with one session to spare. We should find out soon enough.
- Rob Maul
This is one-way traffic now
Ronnie O'Sullivan is in his groove now.
He takes frame seven to lead 6-1 — only one more frame to go in this session.
Hossein Vafaei has spent a lot of time in his chair over the past two-and-a-half hours.
The Iranian was smiling when he sunk a double on a red but otherwise, the Rocket is the one who has been in the happier mood.
- Rob Maul
Century-maker
Ronnie O'Sullivan break of 102 in frame 12 represents his 200th century achieved at the Crucible in the #Snooker World Championship
200 Ronnie O'Sullivan
166 John Higgins
127 Stephen Hendry
97 Mark Selby
87 Shaun Murphy - Rob Maul
What a long frame that was…
After a tense, terse tactical battle, involving lots of safety manoeuvres, Ronnie O'Sullivan takes a 4-1 lead on table one.
It was all a far cry from the scenes of the opening two frames when the Rocket knocked in 78 breaks.
A really fascinating match this.
It is the best of 25 frames – so the first person to 13 frames.
- Rob Maul
While you wait, have a read of this
This fifth frame is still going on. It is a real tactical battle.
The pundits and former world snooker champions have had their say on the bizarre break-off.
- Rob Maul
And we are back on
The players have returned from their comfort breaks during the mid-session interval.
The crowd are back in their seats and waiting to go.
Damien Hirst, the world-famous artist, is in the stands. He is a big snooker fan and a close pal of OSullivan.
Paddy Pimblett, the Liverpool UFC fighter, is here, too, but in a moon boot following an ankle injury.
- Rob Maul
Time for a break
It is a mid-session interval now for about 15-20 minutes.
I think we all need time for a breather. Wow that was intense.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is 3-1 up after a 69 and 51 in frame four.
Yes, they fist-bumped at the start but Hossein Vafaei has had a strange start to this Grudge Match.
O'Sullivan is letting his cue do the talking here.
- Rob Maul
Steve Davis is left perplexed by Hossein Vafaei's match so far
The six-time world champion said: "I find this very difficult to analyse,
"Hossein Vafaei is not cut from the same lump of wood as me.
"I don't understand how can you smash up the balls in a world championship. I don't understand how you can then play great in the next frame.
"What type of brain can do that? To prove your point, whatever, but not in the world championship.
"I don't know where he is coming from. Bloody hell to win frame three, after embarrassing yourself, how can you concentrate?"
- Rob Maul
Hossein Vafaei is giving it large
In frame three, Ronnie O'Sullivan went 31-0 up and then Hossein Vafaei reacted with a score of 64 with 27 left on the table.
The Rocket got back in and was hoping to clear up to take a 3-0 lead.
In the end, it came down to the pink and black and a magnificent long shot from Vafaei on the pink secured the frame.
As he walked off, he slung his cue on the table. Spicy stuff!
- Rob Maul
A strange frame
A second successive break of 78 and Ronnie O'Sullivan is 2-0 up.
That bad, sloppy break-off — what was Hossein Vafaei thinking?
Stephen Hendry said on the BBC TV commentary: "Ronnie doesn't need any more incentive than he has already got. But surely there is some regret from Hossein and that break off?"
John Virgo added: "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."
- Rob Maul
What is he doing?
Smiling Hossein Vafaei breaks off — and he has smashed the pack.
As if he is a pool player. Wow!
Gasps from the crowd at that.
It is just what he accused Ronnie O'Sullivan of doing to him in their last clash in October 2021.
Seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry: "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."
John Virgo said: "That is a first for me. I cannot believe he has played a shot like that in the biggest match of his career"
- Rob Maul
What is he doing?
Smiling Hossein Vafaei breaks off — and he has smashed the pack.
As if he is a pool player. Wow!
Gasps from the crowd at that.
It is just what he accused Ronnie O'Sullivan of doing to him in their last clash in October 2021.
Seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry: "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."
John Virgo said: "That is a first for me. I cannot believe he has played a shot like that in the biggest match of his career"
- Rob Maul
Pull the lion's tail and don't be surprised if he bites you..
Hossein Vafaei has been chatting to the crowd but he cannot hide his nerves.
All that trash-talking pre-match, it might come back to haunt him.
After missing a black, it has opened the door for Ronnie O'Sullivan to pounce.
My goodness, a break of 78 has clinched the opening frame.
What a statement of intent that was.
- Rob Maul
A truce has been called
Ronnie O'Sullivan, introduced as "the greatest player in history", has essentially called a truce in their Grudge Match.
The Rocket has instigated a fist-bump with Hossein Vafaei.
The world No.1 doesn't like to shake hands, especially not since the Covid pandemic.
It will be interesting to see if there is any frostiness in this first of three sessions.
The Crucible crowd are up for this.
- Rob Maul
Here they come
Ronnie O'Sullivan ignored Hossein Vafaei in the building and in the warm-up area.
As he normally does, he walked down the corridor and headed for the wall of newspaper cuttings, presumably to read again what Hossein Vafaei had said about him in the build-up.
MC Rob Walker roared to the crowd: "It is time for the sparks to fly on the biggest stage of all."
- Rob Maul
A long-running feud
When he qualified for the Crucible for the first time a year ago, Hossein Vafaei said that Ronnie O’Sullivan should retire and let the younger generation grow snooker.
The comments were surprising to hear, especially coming from a qualifier.
The Rocket had not forgotten about this and following his first-round win on Saturday, he threw a sly dig at the Iranian.
O'Sullivan, 47, said on Eurosport: “Has he been saying much this year? Has he? Has he piped up or kept quiet?
“I think he’s learned to be quiet. Don’t rattle my cage!”
- Rob Maul
Trouble and strife
The problem that Vafaei has all stems from their last clash — in October 2021 in Cannock.
The pair played each other in a qualifying match for the 2022 German Masters.
Vafaei won 5-0 but he felt that in the final frame he was "disrespected" by Ronnie O'Sullivan, who came out after the break and smashed up the balls like a pool player.
Vafaei moaned: “That wasn’t nice at all. Play like a man. Don’t play mind games or something or smash the balls and disrespect me. Especially when 70-80 million people are watching me in Iran.”
O'Sullivan denies he has tried to disrespect the Iranian.
- Rob Maul
15 minutes to go…
It is like waiting for a heavyweight boxing fight to start. You can sense the tension in the Crucible theatre.
Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Hossein Vafaei.
The trash-talking has come more from the side of Vafaei this past week.
But other pros reckons his stance could backfire and only rile up the Rocket to play to his brilliant best.
- Connor Greaves
Ronnie was victorious with an illness in round one
Virus-hit Ronnie O’Sullivan rose from his sick bed to book his spot in the Crucible second round.
The Essex potter, 47, began his world title defence with a 10-7 success over Chinese debutant Pang Junxu – a record-extending 75th win in these intimate surroundings.
O’Sullivan, who started feeling ill on Friday, thinks it could even be a recurrence of glandular fever that he suffered a few years ago.
He said: “I’m just relieved it’s over. I’ve got a bug. I couldn’t even stand up there. I’m in bits. I was ill about three weeks ago.
“I’ve been absolutely hanging all day all day, my legs and limbs, everything has gone.
“My couch is going to get a lot of my backside sitting on it, trust me.
“I was just so desperate to get over the line every frame. It’s a horrible feeling.
“I have a few days’ rest. Or maybe I’ll hang around the Crucible and give everyone my bug – that might be a good tactic.
“I’m so tired that I feel so relaxed, it’s mad. I cannot wait to get back to my bed. I was struggling.
“If you give any player a little sniff, then they will take you to the cleaners. You have to impose yourself.
“It’s job done. My job is to pot balls. I did it all I could. I’m grateful to be in the next round.
“I need to shift whatever is floating round my body. If I’m still like this for my next match, then scary times…”
- Connor Greaves
When are the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals?
Tuesday, April 25
Quarter-finals (best of 25)
10:00
Match 25: Ronnie O'Sullivan/Hossein Vafaei v Luca Brecel/Mark Williams
Match 27: Mark Allen/Stuart Bingham v Jak Jones/Neil Robertson
14:30
Match 26: Anthony McGill/Jack Lisowski v winner of Robert Milkins v Si Jiahui
Match 28: Kyren Wilson/John Higgins v winner of Gary Wilson v Mark Selby
19:00
Match 25: Ronnie O'Sullivan/Hossein Vafaei v Luca Brecel/Mark Williams
Match 27: Mark Allen/Stuart Bingham v Jak Jones/Neil Robertson
Wednesday, April 26
10:00
Match 26: Anthony McGill/Jack Lisowski v Robert Milkins/Si Jiahui
Match 27: Mark Allen/Stuart Bingham v Jak Jones/Neil Robertson
14:30
Match 25: Ronnie O'Sullivan/Hossein Vafaei v Luca Brecel/Mark Williams
Match 28: Kyren Wilson/John Higgins v Gary Wilson/Mark Selby
19:00
Match 26: Anthony McGill/Jack Lisowski v Robert Milkins/Si Jiahui
Match 28: Kyren Wilson/John Higgins v Gary Wilson/Mark Selby
- Connor Greaves
Who else is in action today?
Friday, April 21st
Round 2 (Best of 25)
10am
- Luca Brecel 9-7 Mark Williams
- Jak Jones 5-3 Neil Robertson
2:30pm
- Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Hossein Vafaei
- Mark Allen 5-3 Stuart Bingham
7pm
- Luca Brecel 9-7 Mark Williams
- Jak Jones 5-3 Neil Robertson
Ronnie O'Sullivan ranked as SunSport's best snooker player of all time
Smashing Trump in the 2022 World Championship final – his seventh crown – has underlined O’Sullivan's position as the Greatest.
The Rocket has won more ranking titles, more Triple Crowns, compiled more 147s and more centuries than anyone in the pro era.
For the exhilarating way he plays the game, the talent he possesses, the longevity of his achievements, O’Sullivan deserves his spot at the top.
Vafaei comments on O'Sullivan
The Iranian sarcastically said the Rocket, 47, is “such a nice person when he is asleep” and that the world No.1 used to be his hero but not anymore.
The Prince of Persia claimed he felt “disrespected” when O’Sullivan smashed up the balls like a pool player in the final frame of his 5-0 drubbing in qualifying for the German Masters in October 2021.
In response, O’Sullivan attempted to take the sting out of this tie, insisting he has never once tried to disrespect his opponent.
In an interview with Eurosport, the reigning world champion said: “I don’t take the comments personally.
“Sometimes I need someone to doubt me or question whether I can still do it.
“I like having something to prove but I don’t make it a personal thing. I just use it to fire myself up.
“Could I be a nicer person? I don’t know. Listen, I try to help all of the players on the circuit.
“If you ask a lot of the pros, pros that are winning world championships that are my rivals, I give them advice."
Good afternoon and welcome to the Crucible Theatre
Ronnie O'Sullivan will take on rival Hossein Vafaei in the second round of the World Snooker Championship.
The 47-year-old beat Pang Junxu 10-7 in the opening round of the tournament.
And Hossein Vafaei defeated Ding Junhui 10-6 in the opening round.
Whoever is victorious in round three will have made it to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Follow SunSport's live blog for all the updates from the Crucible.
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