Ronnie O'Sullivan to Face Debutant He Guoqiang in World Snooker Championship

Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will begin his pursuit of a record eighth World Snooker Championship title against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang at The Crucible. He, ranked 47th in the world, secured his spot in the tournament by defeating Jack Lisowski in qualifying and will make his maiden campaign start on Tuesday afternoon. Notably, He has bested O'Sullivan in two of their previous three encounters. The Chinese contingent in the tournament is strong, with 11 players participating, including defending champion Zhao Xintong, who will face Liam Highfield in the opening match. Four-time champion John Higgins is set to clash with two-time runner-up Ali Carter, with the potential to meet O'Sullivan in the second round if both advance. Other notable matchups include Mark Selby versus 2024 finalist Jak Jones, Judd Trump against Gary Wilson, and Mark Williams against Antoni Kowalski, the first Polish player to qualify for the Crucible. The tournament commences on Sunday, with the final taking place on May 3. 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 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, making a 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 first-round draw will feature 24 different champions, with Zhao Xintong being the most recent, winning in 2025 as the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan currently share the record for the most crowns, with seven titles each.