O'Sullivan Set to Face Chinese Rookie He at the World Snooker Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to compete against Chinese newcomer He Guoqiang in his pursuit of a record eighth World Snooker Championship title at The Crucible. He Guoqiang, ranked 47th in China, secured his spot by defeating Jack Lisowski in the qualifying rounds and is scheduled to face O'Sullivan on Tuesday afternoon. Notably, the 25-year-old has bested O'Sullivan in two of their previous three encounters. He is one of 11 Chinese players participating in the tournament, which includes reigning champion Zhao Xintong. Zhao Xintong will face Liam Highfield in the opening match on Saturday, a year after becoming China's first world champion. Four-time champion John Higgins will face two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round, with a potential second-round matchup against O'Sullivan 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. Since the introduction of 32 players in the first round in 1982, all 16 top seeds have never made it past the second round. Zhao Xintong aims to overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and become the first maiden winner to successfully defend the title, a feat that has eluded 21 players since 1980. O'Sullivan, who will be making his 34th consecutive appearance at the iconic venue, was the last first-time champion to reach the semi-finals in 2002. The first-round draw features 24 different champions, with the most recent being China's Zhao Xintong, who won the trophy in 2025 and became the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan currently share the record with seven crowns each.