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Ronnie O’Sullivan to Face Ali Carter in Blockbuster World Championship Opener

Posted : 17 April 2025

Defending champion Kyren Wilson is set to open his World Snooker Championship campaign with a first-round clash against Lei Peifan. One of the most anticipated matches of the opening round will see Ronnie O’Sullivan face Ali Carter, as the seven-time world champion begins his quest for a record-breaking eighth title in the modern era.

 

O’Sullivan, 49, confirmed on Thursday that he will compete in the tournament despite not playing competitively since he broke his cue during the Championship League in January.

 

The meeting between O’Sullivan and Carter reignites a rivalry that saw them face off in two previous World Championship finals in 2008 and 2012, both won by O’Sullivan. Carter, ranked 18th in the world, enters the tournament as the highest-ranked qualifier, making their encounter one of the headline fixtures of the first round.

 

Meanwhile, world number one Judd Trump is drawn against Zhou Yuelong, while Shaun Murphy, fresh from his Masters triumph, will play debutant Daniel Wells.

 

Other notable matchups include four-time world champion Mark Selby taking on qualifier Ben Woollaston, who returns to the televised stages for the first time since 2013. Fellow four-time winner John Higgins will face Joe O’Connor, and 2024 finalist Jak Jones is drawn against Zhao Xintong.

 

Zhao, a former UK champion, is making a return to the tournament as an amateur after serving a ban for breaching betting rules.

 

The tournament features a historic presence of Chinese players, with ten making it through to the Crucible stages. Among them, Ding Junhui is set to face debutant Zak Surety, while Si Jiahui, a 2023 semi-finalist, plays David Gilbert, who also reached the last four in 2024.

 

Other standout pairings include 2010 champion Neil Robertson facing Chris Wakelin, Mark Allen taking on Fan Zhengyi, and Barry Hawkins up against Hossein Vafaei in what promises to be an exciting opening round.

 

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