…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Hossein Vafaei, two snooker players set to face off in the second round of the 2023 World Snooker Championship on Friday, are currently embroiled in a heated feud.
Vafaei instigated the tension by suggesting that O’Sullivan was “only a nice person when he’s asleep” and that he is “no longer his hero.”
Although this conflict may appear new to outsiders, O’Sullivan has claimed that he has been aware of something brewing for some time now. The 47-year-old stated that two years ago, he noticed Vafaei’s behaviour towards him changing.
The feud is believed to have originated during a German Masters qualifier in October 2021, where O’Sullivan destroyed the reds off a break and went on to suffer a 5-0 defeat.
Vafaei later urged O’Sullivan to retire from the sport and questioned what he has done to advance it, given his position of power.
Despite Vafaei’s criticism, O’Sullivan insists that their upcoming match is not personal, and he does not have any revenge in him.
Although some may argue that O’Sullivan is not above controversy, having cultivated his own reputation for being disrespectful and discourteous at times, the match between the two players is highly anticipated.
Commentary:
The build-up to the second-round clash between O’Sullivan and Vafaei at the 2023 World Snooker Championship has been tense, to say the least.
The feud between the two players appears to have been simmering for a while, and while O’Sullivan claims that he does not have any revenge in him, the two players’ history suggests that it could be a highly competitive and potentially explosive match.
It remains to be seen whether this feud will affect their gameplay, but one thing is certain: fans of snooker are in for an exciting match.