Hossein Vafaei told by Jimmy White to 'do talking on the table' after comments about Ronnie O'Sullivan

Jimmy White says he would rather Hossein Vafaei “do his talking on the table” after the Iranian claimed he wants to “shut” Ronnie O’Sullivan’s mouth. Vafaei beat Ding Junhui 10-6 with an impressive second session display to set up an eagerly-anticipated clash against O’Sullivan in the second round. Ad It comes 12 months on after he told The Rocket to retire for being “disrespectful”, with O’Sullivan warning his snooker rivals to “not rattle my cage” following his opening round victory on Saturday.

World Championship'Do your talking on the table' – White reacts to Vafaei’s broadside on O’Sullivan16 MINUTES AGO “He’s obviously not happy with O’Sullivan,” White told Eurosport. “I don't think O’Sullivan will rise to it. I think he just focus on his game but there seems to be a bit of needle there for sure.

“I think he's too professional, is Ronnie. He will just get on with his job. I don't think there's any animosity between Ronnie and Hossein, I think it's just red tops talking.

“I don't think [O’Sullivan] will use any of this press or this sort of banter in any way, shape or form. “If Hossein thinks it can help him, then so be it, but it could reverse on Hossein. So, I'd rather him just do his talking on the table.

It's all nonsense to me.” Vafaei said O’Sullivan is “such a nice person when he is asleep” and that the seven-time world champion is no longer his hero. The last meeting the pair was 18 months ago in qualifying for the German Masters when O’Sullivan was whitewashed 5-0 by the Prince of Persia. In that match, O’Sullivan smashed the reds open on the break-off shot at 4-0 down.