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. 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. He pulled out of five of the last six World Snooker Tour events on medical grounds but confirmed on Thursday that he will play in this year’s tournament.
“I’m proud to continue my record of having never missed a World Championship. I have many fond memories at the Crucible and look forward to making more in 2025. I’ve enjoyed some good prep with my new cue over the last week so feel good ahead of Tuesday,” O’Sullivan told TNT Sports.
O’Sullivan and Carter, who overcame a neck injury to qualify, have endured a rocky relationship and notably clashed after 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”.
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.
Speaking of the O’Sullivan-Carter match-up, four-time champion Mark Selby told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I don’t think either of them will be happy with that draw. Ronnie, it’s great that he’s in the competition, we’ve not seen him since January, so it’s great. I want him to play and, as it stands at the moment, it seems like he is playing, which is fantastic for the game. Carter is probably one of the toughest qualifiers to get drawn against; he’s played Ronnie in the world final, played in a Masters final, that’s a horrible draw.” Selby, who was in Salford to help conduct the draw on Thursday morning, is set to face fellow Leicester player Ben Woollaston.
Kyren Wilson begins his title defence against debutant Lei Peifan when action starts on Saturday morning, while world No 1 Judd Trump – the 2019 winner – has been paired with Zhou Yuelong. 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 after an investigation into match-fixing, awaits last year’s runner-up, Jak Jones.
Luca Brecel, the 2023 champion, starts against Ryan Day, while the 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 Zhang Anda plays his compatriot Pang Junxu.
The final takes place over two days, beginning on Sunday 4 May, with £500,000 for the winner.