Vafaei calls for Crucible respect - two years after scathing criticism

Hossein Vafaei has claimed the Crucible must be respected and called it snooker's answer to Wimbledon two years on from his scathing criticism of the World Championship venue. "I thought a bit of a roll of the dice, it was a gamble. I was a bit nervous because I thought you could look a bit silly." The 2026 World Snooker Championship is under way, as Ronnie O’Sullivan bids for a record-breaking eighth world title and Zhao Xintong attempts to defend his crown. Ronnie O'Sullivan wastes little time in wrapping up a comprehensive 10-2 victory over He Guoqiang to set up a blockbuster showdown with John Higgins in round two of the World Snooker Championship. Ronnie O’Sullivan started with a rare Crucible misstep but still emerged with a 7-2 lead after the opening session of his first-round match against China’s He Guoqiang at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. Snooker 15/04/26 7:00am A snooker genius - The good, the bad and the ugly of Ronnie O'Sullivan He is the most decorated snooker player in the history of the game and fans' favourite, yet Ronnie O'Sullivan, like other legendary sportspeople, seeks ultimate perfection. Snooker 17/04/26 6:04pm Murphy criticises O'Sullivan and Trump after Crucible no-show Shaun Murphy has criticised Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump after the duo skipped the official media day on the eve of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. Ronnie O'Sullivan has been drawn to face Chinese debutant He Guoqiang as he attempts to win a record eighth World Snooker Championship title at The Crucible.  Michal Szubarczyk became the youngest winner of a World Snooker Championship match in the first qualifying round. World Snooker Championship, 2026 25/03/26 7:00am Selby hopes World Championship stays in UK when Crucible is being refurbished Mark Selby says he would like to see the World Snooker Championship stay in the UK when the Crucible is being refurbished. Snooker 24/03/26 1:00pm Snooker World Championship to stay at Crucible until 2045 Snooker World Championship is set to stay at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until 2045 with venue also set to benefit from a major refurbishment after 2028. Ronnie O'Sullivan has revealed he was "probably" not going to enter this year's World Snooker Championship prior to his impressive run to Sunday's final at the World Open. Ronnie O'Sullivan suffered a 10-7 defeat to Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in a scintillating World Open final, in which Un-Nooh hit a 147 break in the penultimate frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan made the highest break in professional snooker by hitting a 153 at the World Open in China. After a record-equalling seven world titles, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be making his debut on the senior world stage in May.   Snooker 05/02/26 1:19pm O'Sullivan beaten by Guodong at World Grand Prix Ronnie O'Sullivan bowed out of the World Grand Prix after losing 5-3 to world No 10 Xiao Guodong in the round of 16. Snooker 04/02/26 9:36am Snooker great John Virgo dies aged 79 Former player and broadcaster John Virgo has died at the age of 79, World Snooker has announced. Full results of the 2026 edition of snooker's Masters as Kyren Wilson beat John Higgins 10-6 in the final. Kyren Wilson captured the Masters title for the first time on Sunday, beating John Higgins 10-6 in the final at Alexandra Palace. Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the Masters on medical grounds for the second year in a row. Win in our free to enter competitions section Win in our free to enter competitions section