Ronnie O'Sullivan to lock horns with long-term rival Ali Carter at World Snooker Championship
17 April 2025, 09:57
Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has been drawn to face long-term rival Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The 49-year-old, who is seeded fifth, defeated Carter in the 2008 and 2012 finals at the Crucible.
O'Sullivan has not played competitively since snapping his cue after withdrawing from the Championship League in January.
Read More: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim makes Rory McIlroy request after stunning Masters victory
He pulled out of five of the last six World Snooker Tour events on medical grounds and has yet to confirm if he will play in this year's tournament.
O'Sullivan and Carter, who overcame a neck injury to qualify, have endured a rocky relationship and notably clashed following last year's Masters final.
O'Sullivan said his opponent was "not a nice person" during an expletive-laden rant following his 10-7 victory in that match after Carter accused him of "snotting all over the floor".
Kyren Wilson will begin his title defence against debutant Lei Peifan when action starts on Saturday morning, while world number one Judd Trump - the 2019 winner - has been paired with Zhou Yuelong.
Four-time champion Mark Selby, who was in Salford to help conduct the draw on Thursday morning, is set to face fellow Leicester native Ben Woollaston.
Masters champion Shaun Murphy will play debutant Daniel Wells, four-time winner John Higgins takes on Joe O'Connor and three-time champion Mark Williams faces 21-year-old Wu Yize.
With a record 10 Chinese players in the draw, 2016 finalist Ding Junhui will take on Crucible newcomer Zak Surety.
Former UK champion Zhao Xintong, who is playing under amateur status after returning from a 20-month ban following an investigation into match-fixing, awaits last year's runner-up Jak Jones.
Luca Brecel, the 2023 champion, starts against Ryan Day, while 2010 winner Neil Robertson takes on Chris Wakelin.
In the other first-round matches, Mark Allen faces Fan Zhengyi, Barry Hawkins has been paired with Hossein Vafaei, David Gilbert plays Si Jiahui, Xiao Guodong takes on Matthew Selt and China's Zhang Anda plays compatriot Pang Junxu.
World number five O'Sullivan has been an ever-present at the Crucible since turning professional in 1992.
Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, he is chasing a record eighth world title in the modern era to move clear of Stephen Hendry's achievements.
His match against Carter is scheduled to start on Tuesday.
The final takes place over two days, beginning on Sunday, May 4, with £500,000 for the winner.
