**Mark Williams Braces for Grudge Rematch After Snooker Showdown Fallout**
Snooker fans are in for a treat as a simmering rivalry between Welsh legend Mark Williams and Iran’s Hossein Vafaei reignites at the 2025 World Snooker Championship. The two will face off in a highly anticipated second-round tie, rekindling tensions stemming from their fractious encounter at the 2024 World Grand Prix.
The backdrop to their upcoming clash is as compelling as any frame on the green baize. Williams, known affectionately to fans as ‘The Welsh Potting Machine’, was visibly taken aback during their last meeting when Vafaei pointedly skipped the traditional post-match handshake—an act that raised eyebrows across the snooker world. Moments earlier, Williams had emerged victorious in the last 16 of the prestigious Grand Prix, only to see the encounter descend into controversy following an unexpected breach of etiquette.
Vafaei, nicknamed ‘The Prince of Persia’, conceded the contest whilst trailing 3-1. He quickly vacated the arena after a failed attempt by Williams to pot the pink, acknowledging only the referee, Olivier Marteel, and steering well clear of his opponent. The gesture was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd, clearly unimpressed by what many saw as a lapse in sportsmanship.
After the match, Williams recounted his reaction to the incident. “I just pulled him up about it and said, ‘What’s your problem?’” he said. According to Williams, Vafaei’s explanation was that he took offence at Williams slapping his own leg—a gesture of self-critique after a tactical misjudgement. “I slapped my leg at the end because I shouldn’t have gone for the pink,” Williams clarified, describing it as an expression of frustration rather than gloating. “He just stormed off, but if that’s the reason…I don’t care anyway!”
For many in the snooker community, Vafaei’s response was seen as an overreaction—handshakes are a time-honoured custom in the sport, symbolic of respect regardless of the match’s result. While it is accepted that a player can concede if a comeback feels impossible, skipping the handshake is unusual and generally frowned upon.
This incident has added extra spice to the pair’s reunion on snooker’s biggest stage. Williams, a three-time world champion with a glittering career spanning decades, presently holds the upper hand in meetings with Vafaei. The Welshman has won six out of seven of their encounters, including key victories at the 2023 British Open—where he went on to claim the title. However, Vafaei’s one triumph over Williams is no footnote: it was in the 2022 Shoot Out final, where the Iranian produced an inspired performance to take the crown.
Vafaei has been no stranger to controversy during this year’s World Championship either. In his razor-thin 10-9 first-round win over Barry Hawkins, he again divided opinion with a raucous celebration after potting a crucial ball. While the outburst drew fresh criticism, Vafaei defended his display of emotion, claiming this is “exactly what fans want to see”—a view that fuelled heated debate online about the place of exuberance in snooker.
As they prepare to renew hostilities at the Crucible in Sheffield, both players are acutely aware of the history and tension underpinning their rivalry. Williams, seasoned and composed, will be eager to assert his dominance, while Vafaei will be hoping to prove his mettle against a formidable opponent and perhaps change perceptions among fans and peers alike.
Whatever the outcome, the Williams-Vafaei bout promises to be more than just a contest of break-building and safety play. It is a meeting laced with personal pride, competing sporting philosophies, and the kind of narrative twists that keep snooker aficionados on the edge of their seats.
With the spotlight firmly fixed on both players, their next handshake—or lack thereof—will be watched just as closely as the balls rolling on the table. It remains to be seen whether respect or rivalry will triumph when the two meet under the bright lights of Sheffield.