World Snooker Championship 2026 recap - Ronnie O'Sullivan breezes into second round, Hossein Vafaei takes control against Si Jiahui

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World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as Ronnie O'Sullivan secures his progress with a 10-2 victory over He Guoqiang, while Si Jiahui takes on Hossein Vafaei at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Play begins at 10:00 UK time, with further sessions at 14:30 and 19:00.

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Hossein Vafaei turned on the style after the mid-session interval to open up a 6-3 lead over Si Jiahui, after Ronnie O’Sullivan breezed past He Guoqiang to reach the second round at the Crucible for the 30th time.

O’Sullivan resumed his first-round clash with a 7-2 advantage over He and wasted little time getting over the line.

The Rocket reeled off three consecutive frames to win 10-2 and set up a mouth-watering showdown with John Higgins.

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On the other table, Vafaei and Si put on a show for the fans in attendance. Si opened with a century and took a well-deserved 3-1 lead in at the interval.

However, Vafaei looked a different player when play resumed. His long potting was flawless and he used it to devastating effect.

Breaks of 81, 61, 60 and a closing 105 saw Vafaei reel off five frames in a row to take a three-frame lead into the second session.

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Si 3-6 Vafaei

Never in doubt! Vafaei makes it five frames in a row with a break of 105, his first century of the match and 11th at the Crucible.

After looking second best before the mid-session interval, Vafaei has turned this match around in incredible fashion.

Si will need to regroup and try to rediscover the form he displayed in the first four frames.

Si 3-5 Vafaei (0-41)

Wow!

Vafaei fully commits to a four-ball plant, sending the reds everywhere. Most importantly, though, the intended red finds the pocket.

With most of the balls sitting nicely, that could well be a frame-winner.

Si 3-5 Vafaei (0-14)

Vafaei’s prowess from distance has been mega impressive. Not only that, but they’ve all found the centre of the pocket.

After another goes in, he has a decent chance but when a canon goes wrong, the break comes to an end at nine.

Si 3-5 Vafaei (0-5)

The match is far from over no matter who wins this frame, but there is a huge difference between 5-4 and 6-3.

Both players are keeping it tight, understandably so, but Vafaei is edging the safety battle. He puts Si in trouble behind the green and draws four foul points from his opponent.

Si escapes at the second time of asking but leaves a half-chance on a red. Vafaei pots it but misses the subsequent black and the safety exchange resumes.

This feels like the early throes of a lengthy one but we’ll see how it pans out.

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Si 3-5 Vafaei

What were we saying?

Vafaei gets into the cue ball too much and breaks down on 60. He sticks a red safe and is still the favourite to take the frame, but he will surely feel a tinge of disappointment as he wanders back to his chair?

If he did, you wouldn’t know. He returns and slots another long red after what was a good safety shot by Si.

He sticks Si behind the brown and draws a foul out of his opponent before potting another great red and brown.

A red and blue follow and that is enough to seal a FOURTH frame in a row. One more to go in this session.

Si 3-4 Vafaei (0-47)

Rinse and repeat. Another long red falls and here comes Vafaei again. And this time he won’t need to go into the bunch, with so many reds loose and in great positions to be picked off.

If it was a practice frame, he’d be disappointed not to clear-up. It isn’t, of course, but he is riding a tidal wave of momentum and has the cue ball on a string.

Si 3-4 Vafaei

Vafaei is in full flow as he glides round the table, a break of 61 giving him a lead for the first time in this match.

By contrast, Si looks stunned in his chair. The young Chinese player is displaying both sides of his game here and needs to dig deep over the next two frames to try and arrest the slide.

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Si 3-3 Vafaei (0-58)

A poor safety shot from Si catches the knuckle of the left middle and leaves Vafaei with another chance. He gets going with another good red and should now win the frame at this visit.

Si 3-3 Vafaei (0-30)

The power of the mid-session interval. Vafaei is suddenly in total control. Another great long red is thumped in and gives him another chance to gain the early ascendancy in a frame.

He gets to 30 and leaves himself low on a red to open a few more reds, but he takes his eye off the pot and misses. Disaster.

The saving grace is that he hasn’t left Si with anything to really go at.

Si 3-3 Vafaei

Si pots the green, brown and blue, deciding his hopes of a comeback in this frame will be greater with just the pink and black on the table.

He sticks Vafaei in a snooker behind the black, but the Iranian is equal to the task. Vafaei pots the pink a few shots later and we’re all tied up at 3-3.

Si 3-2 Vafaei (19-55)

Si breaks down and leaves Vafaei a half-chance on a long red. It barely looks like it goes, but he takes it on anyway. It doesn’t touch the sides as it sails in – what a shot!

This would be a huge frame to win after that horrid slice of luck. The balls aren’t sitting great but Vafaei is taking them superbly. He pots the final yellow to move 36 points ahead with just 25 remaining and comes within a whisker of committing a foul on the green.

Si needs three snookers but he comes back to the table to give it a go.

Si 3-2 Vafaei (19-33)

Both players miss with attempted long pots before Vafaei sticks Si tight behind the brown with a great safety.

With the final seven reds all over the place it’s hard to see how Si can get out of this one. Only one thing for it: the hit and hope.

Amazingly, Si gets away with it and Vafaei can hardly believe his eyes. He scratches his head in disbelief before getting out of his chair to assess the situation. If looks could kill.

To make matters worse, moments later, Si pulls out another superb pot to give himself a chance to clinch the frame.

Si 3-2 Vafaei (9-33)

Vafaei leaves himself in a tricky spot after failing to do enough with the cue ball from the blue, but he recovers well by powering in a red.

But faced with a simple pink or a tougher blue, he takes on the latter and misses. That was a strange choice.

Now Si has an opportunity to hit back.

Si 3-2 Vafaei (0-26)

This time it’s Vafaei who floats in a lovely long red to forge the first chance. He gets a nice kiss on the green for good measure. A sublime positional shot gets him onto the next red and the next two canons work out about as well as he could have hoped.

He’s now right in among the balls and they are lying very nicely. We could soon have parity.

'Struck it so beautifully' - Si slams home stunning red

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Si 3-2 Vafaei

No century but a great knock of 81 sees Vafaei move within a frame of Si once again. The perfect start after the interval for the Iranian.

Si 3-1 Vafaei (20-59)

Vafaei is taking these very well. He’s one of the players who looks better and more dangerous when he plays a bit quicker.

He races past 50 and is closing on taking his second frame of the match.

Si 3-1 Vafaei (20-16)

Vafaei gets out of a snooker on the second attempt, doing remarkably well not to leave Si an easy opener. But that doesn’t stop the Chinese players, who drills a red into the top-right corner despite having to bridge over another ball.

However, the break unravels when his attempt to split the pack goes awry. Now Vafaei has a chance to pounce.

Si 3-1 Vafaei (1-0)

A poor attempt to roll up on the pack leaves Vafaei a half-chance, but with the cue ball so close to the red, he turns it down.

From the subsequent safety, Si rattles in an incredible red. If anything, he strikes it too well. He zips the cue ball back into baulk and tight onto the top cushion, meaning his only option is to roll up tight behind the green.

Si 3-1 Vafaei (0-0)

The players are back out, hopefully feeling rested and refreshed. All going well, we will have five more frames this afternoon.

Vafaei will be desperate to win this mini-session at the very least to ensure he stays in touch.

In case you missed it

If you're just tuning in, Ronnie O'Sullivan wasted no time in capturing the three frames he needed to see off He Guoqiang.

The Rocket looked in superb form throughout the 10-2 victory and will meet John Higgins in the second round.

'What a gem' - O'Sullivan shows his class with sumptuous opener

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Si 3-1 Vafaei

A poor safety shot by Vafaei leaves Si a chance on a red and he makes no mistake. The 23-year-old takes a 3-1 lead into the mid-session interval and it’s well deserved.

Si 2-1 Vafaei (71-4)

Si continues to make the difficult look quite routine. Another tricky long red falls, opening up a third chance to take this frame.

Will he make it count this time? He is 67 ahead with 59 remaining, so one more red should put it beyond doubt. He overhits the positional shot for his desired red and misses the alternative into the bottom-right corner, so back to the table comes Vafaei.

Si 2-1 Vafaei (39-4)

A wonderful long red gives Si another chance to put some points on the board. He really is a sensational potter when at his best.

If there is a weakness, though, it is his cue-ball control in tight spaces. It gets away from him again, and he is back to his chair when he misses an attempted recovery pot from distance.

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Si 2-1 Vafaei (23-4)

Si runs out of position on 23 when he snookers himself on the black. The pink is still an option but it’s fraught with risk.

He opts to play safe, which is probably the right call.

Si 2-1 Vafaei (16-4)

Another frame, another safety battle. The safety on display from both is superb, in fairness.

But Si is the first to get a chance after fluking a red into the bottom-left corner and then potting a good black.

Si 2-1 Vafaei

It is 2-1. Vafaei gets another long red to fall and after smashing the pink in, Si signals to the referee that he’s seen enough.

Si 2-0 Vafaei (0-66)

Vafaei pulls off another brilliant pot to the middle to keep the break going. Four of the final five reds are sitting a little awkwardly at the bottom of the table but he only needs one more. He gets it and should soon have a frame on the board.

He plays safe but Si needs two snookers to have a chance of coming back in this one.

Si 2-0 Vafaei (0-48)

A canon after potting the blue puts Vafaei slightly out of position but he drills in a brilliant red to the middle to recover the situation. He’s in prime position to take this frame but he is having to work hard for it.

Si 2-0 Vafaei (0-15)

Vafaei pots an incredible long red to end the stalemate. He raises a hand in apology to indicate it wasn’t what he played but they all count.

After not landing nicely on a colour, Vafaei opts to stick his opponent behind the green. Si does very well to escape and not leave anything obvious on, but Vafaei bends the cue ball with a bit of right-hand side to get a red to fall. This is a good chance now.

Si 2-0 Vafaei (0-0)

Our coverage continues with the match between Si Jiahui and Hossein Vafaei. Si took the opening frame with a break of 100 and won a scrappy second to move into a 2-0 lead.

The pair are currently engaged in a safety battle at the start of what could be a crucial third frame.

O’Sullivan 10-2 He

What a display! O’Sullivan closes with a break of 100 to complete a sensational 10-2 victory over He. The damage was done in the first session but what a way to finish it off.

The Rocket is into the second round of the World Championship for the 30th time, where he will meet none other than John Higgins. The two 'Class of 92' legends will get going on Saturday and you can watch it all live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

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O’Sullivan 9-2 He (47-1)

A poor piece of cueing leaves He with a simple red to middle to get going. However, the subsequent blue doesn’t drop and O’Sullivan is back among the balls.

The Rocket goes into the pack from a red and lands perfectly on the pink. The end could be nigh, folks.

O’Sullivan 9-2 He (20-0)

The onslaught continues. O’Sullivan is immediately back on the attack and strokes a stunning long red into the bottom-left corner.

”What a delight that shot was,” TNT Sports commentator Neal Foulds said. ”A real gem.”

The Rocket does miss on 20, though, offering He a reprieve.

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O’Sullivan 9-2 He

It’s not a 147 but the break of 113 puts another frame on the board for O’Sullivan. One more and he’s into the next round.

The pressure is completely off, but he looks in incredibly fine fettle.

O’Sullivan 8-2 He (94-7)

O’Sullivan races past the 50 mark still on the 147. But the split on the pack leaves him tight on the side cushion. No matter, he rolls the red straight in the heart.

The hopes of another Crucible maximum do end, though, when he goes up for the blue from the ninth red. He clearly means business today.

O’Sullivan 8-2 He (24-7)

An early O’Sullivan foul gives He the advantage in a safety battle, but The Rocket nails a superb long red and follows that up with an equally sublime black. And just like that he is in prime position to further extend his advantage.

Early days but he’s also on a 147…

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O’Sullivan 8-2 He

No clearance but a break of 62 is good enough for O’Sullivan to move 8-2 ahead. He’s just two frames away from victory.

O’Sullivan 7-2 He (40-18)

He attempts a shot to nothing and it goes horribly wrong. Another chance for O’Sullivan. The balls are pretty well-placed, so he’ll be keen to win the frame at this visit.

The balls split superbly when he goes into them, but he’s not on anything easy. No matter. He thinly cuts one into the right middle and should mop up from here.

O’Sullivan 7-2 He (6-18)

O’Sullivan misses a long red and presents He with another opportunity. But again, getting from the blue to the next red proves his undoing.

This time, The Rocket is left with a simple opener. A chance to see how he’s cueing, perhaps. He can only manage six before he misses a straightforward red. A scrappy start from both.

O’Sullivan 7-2 He (0-12)

O’Sullivan gets a typically raucous reception from the fans in attendance, who could well be conflicted this afternoon. They will want to see O’Sullivan play some sparkling snooker but might also hope to see the contest reach the mid-session interval, at least.

For those in the latter camp, the early signs are good. After a careless containing safety, He is in first in the opening frame of the session. He gets to 12 before running out of position and playing safe.

Welcome to the Ronnie show

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the afternoon session on day five of this year’s World Championship. It is flying in.

And on that note, what an afternoon we have in store. The Rocket is back in action against He Guoqiang as he looks to book his spot in the second round, while on the other table, the first-round match between Hossein Vafaei and Si Jiahui gets going.

Settle in for what promises to be another cracking few hours of Crucible action.

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan 7-2 He

O'Sullivan needs three more frames in Wednesday's session to progress to the second round after The Rocket dominated debutant He in their first session on Tuesday.