O'Sullivan Faces Chinese Newcomer He at the World Snooker Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to face Chinese debutant He Guoqiang in his pursuit of a record eighth World Snooker Championship title at The Crucible. He Guoqiang, ranked 47th in the world, has defeated Jack Lisowski in the qualifying rounds and will make his tournament debut against the seven-time champion on Tuesday afternoon. Notably, He has beaten O'Sullivan in two of their previous three encounters and is one of 11 Chinese players participating in the tournament. The competition also features defending champion Zhao Xintong, who will face Liam Highfield in the opening match, marking a year since he became China's first world champion. Four-time champion John Higgins will face two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round and could potentially meet O'Sullivan in the second round if both advance. Other notable matches include Mark Selby against 2024 finalist Jak Jones, Judd Trump against Gary Wilson, and three-time champion Mark Williams against Antoni Kowalski, the first Polish player to qualify for the Crucible. The tournament commences on Sunday and concludes on May 3-4. Since the introduction of 32 players in the first round in 1982, there has never been an instance where all 16 top seeds have reached the second round. Zhao Xintong will attempt to overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and become the first maiden winner to successfully defend the title, a feat that 21 players have failed to achieve since 1980. O'Sullivan, who will be making his record 34th consecutive appearance at the iconic venue, was the last first-time champion to reach the semi-finals, losing to Hendry in 2002. The full first-round draw will feature 24 different champions, with the most recent being China's Zhao Xintong, who won the trophy in 2025, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan currently share the record for the most crowns, with seven titles each.