Seven-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan will face China’s He Guoqiang in the first round of the 2026 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan, aged 50, will commence his bid for an eighth title on Tuesday, concluding the match on Wednesday. The final will be played on Sunday, 3 May and Monday, 4 May.
Debutant Draws and Qualifier Success
He Guoqiang, ranked 47th, makes his Crucible debut after a qualifying win against England’s Jack Lisowski. Sixteen players progressed through the qualifying rounds at the English Institute of Sport to join the top 16 ranked players.
Elsewhere, Judd Trump is set to play Gary Wilson, while Masters champion Kyren Wilson will face 19-year-old debutant Stan Moody.
Chinese Contingent and Key Matchups
Zhao Xintong, the first Chinese player to win the world title in 2025, will feature in the first session against England’s Liam Highfield. There will be 11 players from China at the Crucible, a new record.
The draw also features all-Chinese ties between Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong, and Wu Yize against Lei Peifan. Former winner Shaun Murphy takes on Fan Zhengyi, Ding Junhui plays David Gilbert and former world number one Mark Allen is against Zhang Anda.
Veterans Clash and Robertson’s View
Four-time champion John Higgins will play two-time runner-up Ali Carter, while fellow four-time champion Mark Selby faces 2024 runner-up Jak Jones.
Two Crucible runner-ups in Barry Hawkins and Matthew Stevens go head-to-head, Iran’s Hossein Vafaei plays Si Jiahui and 2010 champion Neil Robertson meets Pang Junxu.
Robertson commented on his match with Pang, stating, “Pang is a really good player, a great talent, all-around game and very calm. We played at the UK Championship this season and I got the better of him there so hopefully I can repeat that.”
- The competition begins on Saturday and lasts for 17 days.
- The draw was made on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on Thursday.
- The Crucible has been the venue for the World Championship since 1977.
The World Snooker Championship has been held at the Crucible every year since 1977, and it was announced last month that it would remain there.