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 wasted 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.
Scoot Henderson scored 31 points and the Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of an injury to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, rallying for a 106-103 victory over San Antonio to even their Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece.
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.
Usain Bolt has urged Australia's teenage sprint star Gout Gout to stay focused on track and field amid other distractions that come with being in the spotlight.
CJ McCollum scored 32 points as the Atlanta Hawks rallied to stun the New York Knicks 107-106 on Monday night, levelling their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris were among the winners on star-studded night at the prestigious Laureus World Sport Awards on Monday.
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.
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.
The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Houston Rockets 107-98 in game one of their first-round playoff series that saw LeBron James take 19 points and 13 assists.
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.
Three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty won the 100 metres breaststroke at the Aquatic Great Britain Swimming Championships on Tuesday as he sets his sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
World cycling's governing body has banned New Zealand's Kiaan Watts for 25 days after he punched a fellow rider during a race last month.
Atlanta's Reynaldo Lopez and Los Angeles Angels hitter Jorge Soler were ejected after a huge brawl broke out between the pair.
Michal Szubarczyk became the youngest winner of a World Snooker Championship match in the first qualifying round.
Adam Gemili is returning to his roots at Chelsea's academy after announcing his retirement from athletics
For Caster Semenya, the new Olympics rules are not about providing clarity and protecting women's sport but caving into political pressure, and discriminatory.
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