Ronnie O'Sullivan to meet China's He Guoqiang, could face John Higgins in second round as World Snooker Championship draw made

React to this story

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been given an arduous test in his first round at the World Snooker Championship, with a match against He Guoqiang.

Former champion Brecel beaten in World Championship qualifying

Video credit: TNT Sports

Meanwhile, Ali Carter will take on John Higgins in another standout tie. There are massive first round ties elsewhere, with reigning UK champion Mark Selby facing 2024 runner-up Jak Jones.

Last season’s champion, Zhao Xintong, will face Liam Highfield as he attempts to end the Crucible curse, while World No. 1 Judd Trump is in action against Gary Wilson - a repeat of the 2019 semi-final in Sheffield which Trump won 19-11.

Stan Moody, the first teenager to appear at the Crucible since Trump in 2007, will face Kyren Wilson, the champion in 2024. Moody was advised to withdraw from his Judgement Day clash against Jiang Jun due to struggling with tonsillitis, but completed a tense 10-9 victory to ensure he would make his Crucible debut.

China Open

Has O'Sullivan lost his 'fear factor'? Hendry has say on former rival ahead of China Open

11 hours ago

Another UK debutant, Liam Pullen, will face 13th seed Chris Wakelin, while, with a record 11 Chinese players in action, there is an all-Chinese affair between Wu Yize and Lei Peifan.

As ever, all eyes were on The Rocket and when he would be pulled out of the hat and there was not long to wait, with O'Sullivan the second seeded player to be chosen, after Si Jiahui, who will face Hossein Vafaei.

His opponent, ranked 47th in the world, is another making his Crucible bow, but attention largely lies on a potential cracker of a second-round clash, as O'Sullivan could meet Higgins in the last 16.

O'Sullivan and Higgins have won 11 World Championship titles between them, which will make it one not to miss, assuming both advance past their first-round clashes.

That Higgins faces Carter also opens the potential for a second-round grudge match between O'Sullivan and his Essex counterpart, with memories of their infamous 'shoulder barge' World Championship incident eight years ago.

O'Sullivan has met He on three occasions, winning one and losing two, and the 25-year-old Chinese will be hoping to take the biggest scalp of his career.

Elsewhere, Barry Hawkins will meet Matthew Stevens in a match that sees two former finalists play each other.

Mark Williams, the three-time world champion, faces Antoni Kowalski, who became the first player from Poland to qualify for the Crucible.

He said upon qualifying: "I never cry, so that's the perfect explanation of what it means to me, I'm going to realise one of my biggest dreams and play at the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

"I'm not based in the UK so it is more special, and my girlfriend and my parents will come to the Crucible."

Neil Robertson, the 2010 World Champion, was the final name to be drawn out of the hat, sitting patiently as the draw proceeded in Manchester.

He was drawn against Pang Junxu, who he beat in the UK Championship.

Upon the conclusion of the draw, he told BBC 5 Live: ”I think the one with Selby and Jak Jones is the one that really sticks out, that will be a tough game that one.

”There are so many young players coming through, there are also so many previous finalists that still had to qualify, so there are some brilliant matches, Ali Carter and John Higgins, that is going to be another great game.

”Pang is a really good player, great all-round game, very calm, plays with really good composure and we played earlier in the UK Championship and this season I got the better of him there, so hopefully that can repeat itself again.”