Hossein Vafaei strongly criticised the conditions at the Crucible after crashing out of the World Snooker Championship in a 10-5 defeat by former champion Judd Trump.

The Iranian described the famous Sheffield venue as “smelly”, compared its practice facilities to “like playing in a garage”, and questioned the treatment of players in the course of the marathon 17-day event.

“Everything’s so bad – if you ask me if I want to come back here, I would tell you no way,” said Vafaei, who is no stranger to Crucible controversy after playing a rash break-off shot in his defeat by Ronnie O’Sullivan last year.

“Forget the history, you want to go somewhere really nice as a player. You walk round the Crucible and it smells really bad. You go to other countries, and everything is shiny. But here it’s completely different.

“The practice room – do you see anything special? I feel like I’m practising in a garage.”

Speculation over the future of the Crucible, which has staged he tournament since 1977, has been heightened since world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan suggested it should be moved to Saudi Arabia or China when the existing deal expires in 2027.

Vafaei, who made his debut in 2022, is clearly no fan and continued: “Look at the China venues, how fantastic they treat the players, a red carpet and an opening ceremony. The players are treated like stars. But here no one looks after the players, before and after the match no one cares who you are.

“If they don’t want to lose the Crucible invest some money, make it shinier, make it nicer, make it more luxury for the people. If they make it cleaner and nicer, people will enjoy it.”

Trump turned a 6-3 overnight advantage into a comfortable win over his opponent, who cut a frustrated figure after failing to take a series of chances to reach the midway point with more of a chance against the 2019 champion.

Trump was not even required to summon a half-century in a low-key second session, and was more than happy to ease though a potentially tricky assignment and seal his place in the last 16 against either Tom Ford or Ricky Walden.

“I got the job done in that first session,” shrugged Trump. “I knew it was going to be a bit demoralising for him to be 6-3 down after that performance, so today was about getting a few frames early on and knocking the belief out of him.

“Coming into this event I was a lot more confident than I have been in the last three or four years. It’s nice to know I’m into the second round and I’ve got a few days off so I can sit back and watch other people sweat.”

It was a different matter for four-time champion Mark Selby, who is on the brink of falling at the first hurdle after losing his first session 7-3 to debutant Joe O’Connor.

Selby, who questioned his future in the sport after losing to Gary Wilson in the Tour Championship earlier this month, was second best against his Leicester rival, who reeled off five frames in a row to leave himself in a commanding position ahead of Monday’s resumption.

Eleventh seed Zhang Anda followed defending champion Luca Brecel out of the tournament as he was hammered 10-4 by last year’s surprise quarter-finalist Jak Jones.

Resuming 5-2 in front after their abridged opening session on Saturday, Jones chiselled his way over the line with a top break of 60, while Zhang’s 95 in the 13th frame proved much too little, too late.

Shaun Murphy fashioned a 6-3 lead over China’s Lyu Haotian despite a dreadful missed black in the fifth frame that briefly inspired his opponent to claw back a 3-1 deficit and level at 3-3.

The Philadelphia 76ers are hopeful Joel Embiid will be available for Game 2 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks after he suffered an injury scare during their defeat in Game 1.

Embiid had 29 points, also adding eight rebounds and six assists, as the Sixers succumbed to a 111-104 defeat at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

He made one stunning play near the end of the first half, finishing with a one-handed dunk after passing to himself off the backboard, but that came at a cost as he then left for the final two minutes and 37 seconds of the second quarter.

Embiid seemed to land awkwardly on his left leg after that play and immediately dropped to the ground before getting up and walking straight to the locker room. 

Embiid rejoined his team-mates on the floor at the start of the second half, but with the reigning MVP recently missing two months after undergoing meniscus surgery, the incident left fans concerned.

Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse is positive regarding his chances of featuring in Game 2 on Monday, saying: "He really is a warrior, and he's battling.

"I think he absolutely wants to play. I knew when I went in at halftime that they were checking him out and that he was up and moving. 

"They did say we are seeing, they didn't rule him out yet. They just took him all the way to the end there to get him ruled back in."

The Sixers outscored the Knicks by 14 points during Embiid's 37 minutes on the court, being outscored by 21 points during the 11 minutes he spent out of the game. 

Tyrese Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 33 points and was 14-of-26 shooting, says Embiid will suit up for Monday's contest if physically able to.

"Nothing with Joel surprises me now," Maxey said. "He's always a fighter. He's always going to try and give it his all for his team. So if he thinks he can go, he'll for sure be out there."

Crystal Palace dealt a heavy blow to West Ham’s ambitions of playing European football next season with a 5-2 victory at Selhurst Park.

Palace, who had not previously scored more than three goals in a league contest this season, led by four inside 31 minutes, opening the scoring with a Michael Olise header before Eberechi Eze made it two with a superb bicycle kick.

Emerson intensified the Irons’ woes when he turned the ball into his own net before Jean-Philippe Mateta got on the scoresheet just after the half hour mark.

Antonio clawed one back for the visitors before the break but Mateta bagged his second in the 64th minute to re-establish the four-goal buffer.

Just as it looked to be the exclamation mark on a thumping victory, Palace keeper Dean Henderson was caught out and allowed Tyrick Mitchell’s backpass to skip past his foot and into the hosts’ net.

Defeat leaves West Ham eighth, two points adrift of Newcastle and Manchester United above them who both have two games in hand.

Joachim Andersen’s lovely clipped cross set up Olise to nod past Lukasz Fabianski for the seventh-minute opener as Palace began in fine fashion.

Mitchell nearly made it two, blazing over after he was released by Eze, who soon double Palace’s lead.

Fabianski got just enough of his boot on Mateta’s low effort but the ball rebounded in the path of Eze, who obliged in acrobatic style with a magnificent bicycle kick.

Palace were three goals to the good when Will Hughes clipped the ball towards an onrushing Daniel Munoz at the back post, where the unfortunate Emerson instead deflected it past his own keeper.

The chances kept coming, all for Palace, who stole the ball away from the Hammers in midfield, eventually allowing Olise to send a delivery across the face of goal for Mateta to tap home.

The Hammers finally enjoyed a spell inside the hosts’ final third shortly after the half hour mark,  when Angelo Ogbonna nodded one of the visitors’ lone chances over the bar.

It was the beginning of a slightly more settled period for David Moyes’ men, who clawed one back in the 40th minute when Antonio poked Tomas Soucek’s header past Henderson, the goal standing after a VAR check.

The Palace keeper was called into action to deny Mohammed Kudus’ low effort, clinging to the ball in his lap as opportunistic white shirts buzzed around him at the goal-line to pounce on a spill that never came, and it was the Eagles who came closest before the break when Andersen nodded over.

Henderson claimed Emerson’s cross to kick-start the second half when Moyes made a pair of substitutions, replacing Ogbonna with Aaron Cresswell and Soucek – who had been booked late in the first period – with Ben Johnson.

Fabianski made a big diving save to deny Eze and Palace were dealt a blow when Adam Wharton, who has shone since his January signing, was forced off after colliding with Emerson and replaced by Naouirou Ahamada just past the hour mark.

Mateta restored the hosts’ four-goal advantage less than three minutes later, latching on to a pass from Eze through the legs of Kurt Zouma and into the bottom corner.

Just as the Frenchman’s second strike looked to settle the scoreline, Palace’s season-long habit of conceding late goals came back to haunt them, only this time it was one entirely of their own doing – Henderson’s gaffe putting a late downer on his side’s emphatic triumph.

Ross O’Sullivan’s Follow Me made a pleasing start to life in Ireland when landing the Treacy Group Irish EBF Maiden at Curragh.

The three-year-old hit the frame several times last season in France before changing hands, but drifted out to 22-1 to score for new connections at the first time of asking.

Despite those odds he came with a strong challenge close to home and crossed the line half a length to the good under Shane Foley.

“I couldn’t believe he was drifting (in the betting) and was getting nervous had we got it wrong,” said O’Sullivan.

“Shane Foley has ridden him in work for the last six weeks and thought a lot of him.

“Tom Malone bought him at a sale in France for Amanda (Torrens, owner). She put an order in for him to find a nice horse and fair play he took his time and this horse popped up.

“As soon as he came off the box I liked him. He has size and scope. He had good form in France as a two-year-old but looked like a three-year-old. He’s a tall horse with a good temperament.

“He was declared for the meeting here that was called off and then we were thinking of running him in Dundalk, but we said we’d sit and wait for the Curragh.

“He had form over six, seven and a mile but showed plenty of pace in his work.

“Hopefully he can take us to the big days and we can have a nice summer with him. We’ll have to sit down now and make a plan.”

Denis Cullen’s Zephron took the PG Duffy & Sons Citroen Handicap by half a length under Wayne Hassett.

A 13-2 shot, the gelding handled the soft to heavy ground best of all to add a fifth career win to his tally.

“It looked like they went pretty hard early, and Wayne said he got squeezed back a bit but was happy to take his time,” said Cullen.

“He likes the Curragh and handles that ground well. He had a nice run in Naas which brought him on a lot and he seemed in good form today.

“He has form on most types of ground but handles that better than most horses. We’ll see what way the weather goes, and he could end up back in Galway for something. He got touched off there a few years ago.”

Aidan Howard’s Magical Vision then came out on top in the five-furlong Newbridge Silverware Sprint Handicap.

The mare is well-proven on heavy ground and demonstrated that ability again with a one-and-a-quarter-length victory under Chris Hayes at 100-30.

“We were hopeful today. I was a little bit concerned about the ground being tacky, but she seemed to handle it well,” the trainer said.

“She travelled very well, and I think five (furlongs) is definitely her trip.

“We’ll keep an eye on the weather now and she won’t run on quick ground.”

Natalia Lupini’s Redshore City (9-1) came out on top in a blanket finish to the Business Plus Handicap winning by a short head, a neck and a neck.

Aston Villa’s push to secure Champions League football continued as Unai Emery’s men came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1 at Villa Park.

Having gone a goal down through Dominic Solanke’s 31st-minute penalty, Villa turned things around with Morgan Rogers equalising in first-half stoppage time, Moussa Diaby putting them ahead just before the hour mark and Leon Bailey subsequently adding a third in the 78th minute.

Ollie Watkins set up the finishes from Diaby and Bailey as he became the Premier League’s outright leading assist maker this season with 12, to go with the 19 goals that see him sit only one behind joint leaders Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer in the Golden Boot race.

The result, strengthening Villa’s grip on fourth place, caps an excellent few days for the midlands outfit after last Sunday’s 2-0 win at Arsenal and Thursday’s penalty shootout triumph at Lille that took them into the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

With four league games to go they are six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, who have two games in hand. Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth stay 13th.

A bright start from Villa saw Watkins’ shot deflect over off Illia Zabarnyi, John McGinn drive wide and Pau Torres just fail to connect with Diaby’s delivery at the far post.

Bournemouth threatened just past the quarter-hour mark when Justin Kluivert’s firm hit brought a good save out of Emiliano Martinez.

And after Diaby scuffed off-target from a good position, the visitors exerted further pressure, with shots from Dango Ouattara and Ryan Christie going wide before Milos Kerkez was brought down by Matty Cash – scorer of a vital late goal at Lille – and referee Tim Robinson pointed to the spot.

Martinez had pulled off two saves in Thursday’s shootout, but was unable to produce one on this occasion as Solanke rifled past the Argentinian for his 18th league goal of the season.

Cash, looking to make swift amends, fired wide soon after, before Kluivert did the same via a deflection.

Rogers then brought the game back level just prior to the interval, latching on to fine ball from Bailey, cutting inside Adam Smith and lashing into the net.

And the hosts subsequently moved in front 12 minutes into the second half when Watkins laid the ball to Diaby and the Frenchman finished from close range.

Martinez then did well again as he parried Ouattara’s header, and after Rogers found the side netting, Bournemouth substitute Antoine Semenyo skewed into the stand.

Watkins tried his luck in the 75th minute, driving wide, and moments later he ended up as provider again as he sent the ball goalwards and Bailey was on hand to tap in for 3-1.

Danny Rohl saluted Sheffield Wednesday’s ‘courageous’ performance after they beat Blackburn 3-1 to move out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.

An exquisite Josh Windass lob in the sixth minute put Wednesday ahead but Sammie Szmodics equalised three minutes later with a clinical finish.

Wednesday took control when Marvin Johnson got on the end of an Anthony Musaba cross in the 58th minute before Rovers’ goalkeeper Aynsley Pears gifted them a third after slicing a clearance into his own net.

The visitors held on with something to space, rewarding more than 7,000 away fans who created an impressive atmosphere.

After climbing out of the bottom three for the first time in 246 days, Rohl praised the mindset of the players, saying: “The job is not done.

“We worked hard to be out of this (relegation) zone. Six months, we tried everything. Today we took the opportunity.

“The last four-five weeks we’ve had the opportunity. But today all in all we connected our performance with a good result.

“I think when I look back to our performance against Stoke and Swansea, was good, but the result was not what we wanted.

“Today…a good reaction. I feel this the whole week. We trained well. I think today it was a courageous performance from my team.

“We forced them into mistakes, we played football how we wanted to play. It was a good togetherness on the pitch but also off the pitch with our massive support. They made an away game into a home game, so (a) big thank you to everybody.

“The performance of my team and especially the mindset and mentality is outstanding.”

Blackburn have not been in the bottom three all season but are just three points clear of it now and John Eustace said his team must bounce back.

He said: “First half I thought we were well in the game, I thought we bounced back from the early goal, showed great character. Felt we controlled the first half fairly well.

“Second half, the manner of the goals was disappointing. (We) lost the ball in midfield, didn’t chase back quick enough, and they punish us.

“The third goal, we can’t do much about that. It’s a mistake. It’s a tough one to take and it’s disappointing.

“However we’ve got a magnificent chance next week. Everything is in our own hands.”

He added: “It’s disappointing we’ve lost but it’s football. Last week we bounced back from a difficult defeat and showed that togetherness and got a great three points.

“Now it’s important we show that togetherness again and we bounce back again next week.

“Everyone is disappointed. This is football, we had the highs last week, we have the lows this week, nobody gets carried away.”

Boris Becker says he is “working hard with the authorities” to return to the UK and Wimbledon in 2025.

The three-time Wimbledon men’s singles champion was deported from the UK in December 2022 after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for hiding £2.5m of assets and loans in a bankruptcy fraud case.

Becker cannot return to the UK until October 2024 at the earliest following his deportation, but the 56-year-old German plans to return to the tournament he says is “in my DNA” as soon as possible.

“Wimbledon has been my favourite tournament as a player, coach and commentator,” Becker said at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.

“It’s unique, you can’t compare it.

“I lived in Wimbledon a long time so I’m working hard with the authorities to have all the applications ready to be back for next year. We’re working on 2025.

“It’s a part of my life. It’s in my DNA, you can’t deny that.”

Asked if he would be back in the Wimbledon commentary box, Becker replied: “I hope so.”

Becker has not been involved in tennis since stepping down as Holger Rune’s head coach at the start of February.

The pair spent less than four months together, but in that time the 20-year-old qualified for the ATP finals in Italy.

::The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards take place on Monday evening in Madrid. To find out more, and follow the ceremony, visit www.laureus.com

Donnacha O’Brien’s Yosemite Valley battled hard to take the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes at the Curragh.

The colt is well versed when it comes to racing at the track, finishing second to Little Big Bear in the Anglesey Stakes as a juvenile and was having his fifth outing there from just seven in all.

He started this season off at Cork in Listed company, finishing second but looked a different proposition this time.

On returning to the Curragh the four-year-old was a 3-1 chance upped to seven furlongs and was a comfortable winner under Gavin Ryan when crossing the line two and three-quarter lengths ahead of 7-4 favourite Jumbly.

“It was a good performance. I always thought he was a proper horse but he was unlucky a few times,” said O’Brien.

“He ran well in Cork the last day and the step up to seven seemed to suit him. It’s nice to get a stakes win into him.

“He could get away with a stiff six, but he travelled so well there today and all the big seven-furlong races will be open to him.”

Of future plans the trainer added: “There is the Maurice de Gheest over six and a half in France. Whether he’s up to that level I don’t know but I’d like to give him a shot at it to see.

“The Greenlands is here in about a month but that is back to six. A stiff six could be an option or we might give him a little break and aim for seven furlongs in France.”

Nottingham Forest have launched a bitter attack on referees chiefs after they were denied three penalties during their costly 2-0 Premier League defeat at Everton.

Forest were furious not to be awarded spot-kicks by Anthony Taylor for challenges on Giovanni Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi by Ashley Young, who in the meantime had looked fortunate to escape a handball decision with VAR official Stuart Attwell backing the referee.

Minutes after the final whistle, the relegation-threatened club posted on X: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept.

“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game, but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.

“NFFC will now consider its options.”

The PA news agency has contacted the PGMOL – Professional Game Match Officials Limited – for comment.

Ollie Sangster is hopeful Shuwari will be able to make her mark in the second half of the season, with a setback having scuppered an intended crack at the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

The Manton handler revealed last month that his Fillies’ Mile runner-up would be denied a return to Newmarket on May 5 for a shot at Classic glory, with the daughter of New Bay set to be on the sidelines for the first half of the new campaign.

However, optimism is high that she will be back later in the summer to take part in plenty of high-ranking assignments.

“She’s OK and she will hopefully be back for the second half of the season,” said Sangster.

“There’s no immediate plans and we will make a bit more of a plan in a couple of months, I would say it would be July onwards (when she is back).

“She’s fine and a good patient and she will be back. She is a filly who will probably stay in training next season anyway, but it is a shame to miss the Guineas, a shame for the yard and owners, but she will have plenty of nice targets later on.”

Sangster also feels there is more to come from talented three-year-old Per Contra, with the Wathnan Racing-owned colt backed to build on a successful low-key comeback at Wolverhampton.

“He ran really well at Wolverhampton having been off for a while,” continued Sangster.

“He’s gone up to 92 and hopefully he will be a horse who will have a nice pot in him somewhere this season.

“He should keep improving and he wouldn’t have been best suited by Wolverhampton really. He’ll improve as the year goes on and for running on a nice galloping track, so hopefully 92 isn’t the bottom of him.”

Everton eased their relegation worries with 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest, who once again had reason to feel aggrieved about refereeing decisions going against them.

A rare goal from Idrissa Gueye was followed by a similar long-range strike from Dwight McNeil on his 200th Premier League appearance to secure a second-successive home win – sandwiching Monday’s 6-0 debacle at Chelsea – and lift Sean Dyche’s side five points clear of the bottom three.

But Toffees defender Ashley Young lived a charmed life after appearing somewhat fortunate to escape three penalty claims against him, which the visitors felt were all more than justified.

Both clubs have had cause to rail against the Premier League this season: the hosts had eight points deducted for breaches of profitability and sustainability rules, although they are appealing against the latest docking of two.

Forest, whose appeal against the four they had taken away will be heard next week, have been so incensed by some of the officiating against them they appointed former referee Mark Clattenburg as a consultant analyst.

He is likely to be over-employed again after Young’s tackles on Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose shot also hit the defender’s arm, were all waved on by referee Anthony Taylor with VAR offering no reason to reverse any of the decisions to leave them a point above the relegation zone.

Dyche made four alterations from the Stamford Bridge embarrassment but it was not the only change as the manager abandoned his usual matchday uniform of black mackintosh and black suit for training gear.

But if he was hoping to give off the air of a man confident of his game plan – having said on Friday he had told the players he would not allow them to get him the sack – it was not apparent for almost half-an-hour.

Former Liverpool defender Neco Williams had an early shot parried by Jordan Pickford; Everton’s first attempt on target – Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s weak header – did not arrive until the 27th minute.

Their next attempt proved far more valuable, however. Gueye had previously scored one Premier League goal from 99 attempts from outside the area so it was perhaps not surprising Forest’s defence were content to stand off the midfielder when he carried the ball forward previously, working on the assumption Everton had more dangerous players in possession.

But that tactic was misguided on this occasion as Gueye controlled Ola Aina’s poor header and found the gap low down between Matz Sels’ right hand and the far post from just outside the area.

It was only the Senegal international’s fifth goal in 187 league appearances across two spells for the club and his first in the league goal at Goodison since February 2017.

His only other strike this season was a late winner in the 3-2 victory at Crystal Palace in mid-November.

Pickford’s brilliant save from a Chris Wood shot – five minutes before the interval – ensured that lead was maintained, as did VAR’s insistence Young’s arm was in a natural position from Hudson-Odoi’s volley.

Calvert-Lewin squandered the chance to give Everton some breathing space early in the second half when he fired wide from James Tarkowski’s knockdown, before Young tested the officials’ judgement once again when he went into the back of Hudson-Odoi.

Forest were still dictating play when Morgan Gibbs-White guided a shot over Pickford but wide and that miss proved costly when McNeil, like Gueye in the first half, squeezed a low shot in between Sels’ outstretched arm and the post, the ball going in off the inside of the upright.

Striker Beto, on as a replacement for Calvert-Lewin, departed on a stretcher late on after a clash of heads but even 17 minutes of additional time were not enough for a toothless Forest to launch a comeback.

Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric believes his side will win their survival bid and extend their stay in the Premier League.

The Clarets have been in the bottom three all season but have taken 10 points from their last seven games after Saturday’s 4-1 win at relegation rivals Sheffield United.

Muric, who made a string of outstanding saves at Bramall Lane to help secure Vincent Kompany’s side their second league win of the year, said: “I think we as a team you can see after every game the energy’s back.

“We believe in it every day, it’s not just saying it. Everyone looks like we believe in it. We had some good games in the previous games and I think we’ll be good. We’re going to do it I think.”

Burnley climbed to within three points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest before their game on Sunday at fellow strugglers Everton.

Muric made crucial saves to deny Oli McBurnie and Ben Brereton Diaz before Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon gave the Clarets a barely-deserved 2-0 half-time lead.

Gus Hamer pulled one back for the Blades but Lyle Foster and Johann Berg Gudmundsson added further goals for the visitors.

Muric also made a brilliant flying save to keep out James McAtee’s curling effort and when asked about his performance, the Kosovo keeper said: “Yes, it’s my job.

“Today it went well and I’m happy that I could save some goals and we could take the win.”

Blades boss Chris Wilder conceded after the game that his side’s season was over as they remain cast adrift at the bottom with five games to go.

Home goalkeeper Ivo Grbic turned in another unconvincing display as he was beaten too easily by Burnley’s first two scruffy goals and Wilder said he was considering taking him out of the firing line.

The Croatia international was drafted in during the January transfer window after a series of mistakes from previous number one Wes Foderingham earlier in the season.

Wilder said: “Obviously we made a decision and it was an opportunity to bring (Grbic) in. There was a reason we brought him in, we weren’t comfortable in that position.

“Let’s get it right, I don’t think anyone was comfortable in that position. So everyone was clamouring and we thought it was the right thing to do, but obviously it’s not been a great start for the big man.

“Goals are going in too easily, I don’t think there’s much protection in front of him from a defensive point of view.”

Asked if Grbic could be dropped for Wednesday’s game at Manchester Unmited, Wilder added: “Well, we’ll make a decision over the weekend. It’s something we talk non-stop about, positions and how we want to set up.”