Snooker star at centre of O'Sullivan feud booed as he refuses handshake

18 January 2024 , 11:04

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Hossein Vafaei refused to shake hands with Mark Williams (Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images)

Hossein Vafaei caused controversy at the World Grand Prix as he refused to shake Mark Williams' hand after conceding the match.

With Williams leading 3-1 in their last 16 match, Vafaei conceded after his opponent missed an opportunity to pot the pink ball. The 29-year-old shook hands with referee Olivier Marteel before storming off as the Morningside Arena crowd booed his actions.

Speaking after the game, Williams revealed Vafaei was annoyed with him for slapping his leg after he missed the pink. "I just pulled him up about it and said 'what's your problem', and he said it was because I slapped my leg at the end, when I won," he said.

"I slapped my leg at the end because I shouldn't have gone for the pink. I should have played safe. I thought he would have come back to the table and carried on for snookers. That's why I was a bit fuming.

"He just stormed off, but if that's the reason... I don't care anyway!" Former world champion Ken Doherty was on punditry duty for ITV and added: "I think it was the fact that he had already won the match, Hossein wasn't going to play for snookers.

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"Mark had a different idea about it, Hossein thought it was disrespectful because he'd already won. That's why he stormed off." Williams also responded to fans on social media questioning Vafaei's behaviour, branding it "pathetic" and "shocking".

It is not the first time Vafaei has been at the centre of controversy, having been embroiled in a feud with Ronnie O'Sullivan. Ahead of the 2022 World Championship, Vafaei said O'Sullivan should retire and claimed he is "not good for the game" in comments he later took back.

However, ahead of their meeting at last year's World Championship, O'Sullivan referenced Vafaei's statement as he told Eurosport: "Has he been saying much this year? I think he's learned to be quiet. Don't rattle my cage! I'm just having fun. I love it when they call me out, I love it when they give me stick."

Vafaei then hit back at the Rocket, claiming he is only a "nice person when he's asleep". He said: "I think Ronnie O'Sullivan is such a legend, such a good player when he's on the table. I think he's such a nice person when he's sleeping, he's just such a nice person when he's asleep, you know what I mean."

O'Sullivan went on to comprehensively beat Vafaei 13-2 and admitted after the match he was "baffled" by their rivalry. He said: "All of a sudden, it just went a bit funny. So I was baffled and I was a bit sad about it, to be honest with you, but there is not a lot you can do. He has his reasons."

Matthew Cooper