Ronnie O'Sullivan set to take trip down memory lane at 6 Red World Championship, Thailand's 'biggest ever' snooker event
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ByEurosport
Updated 06/03/2023 at 14:57 GMT
World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will hope to make another fruitful trip to Asia when he competes at the 6 Red World Championship in Thailand next month (6-11 March). The snooker GOAT claimed the Hong Kong Masters title last October and will be among the title favourites when the balls start rolling in Pathum Thani. Stream top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk
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World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to enjoy a potting blast from the past when he travels to Pathum Thani in Thailand for the 6 Red World Championship next month.
The snooker GOAT is among the favourites alongside Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen and Mark Williams for the prestigious King's trophy and £100,000 first prize in the 32-man invitational event (6-11 March) staged for the first time since the global pandemic struck in 2020.
O'Sullivan has been drawn in Group H alongside Jimmy Robertson, World Snooker Federation junior champion Stan Moody and local Thai favourite James Wattana at the 3,600-seat Convention Centre of Thammasat University's Rangsit campus.
"It will be the biggest ever snooker tournament to have been held in Thailand," said Suntorn Jarumon, Billiard Sports Association of Thailand president.
O'Sullivan and Wattana have a storied 31-year rivalry in the sport, stretching back to their first meeting in 1992 when Wattana completed a 6-5 win in the semi-finals of the Humo Masters in Belgium.
O'Sullivan is 11-5 clear on the career head-to-heads against the former world No. 3 dubbed 'The Thai-phoon', but this will be the first time they will do battle over the shortened 6 Red format.
O'Sullivan won their previous meeting 5-1 in the last 32 of the 2011 Shanghai Masters with Wattana completing a 5-0 whitewash success at the same stage of the 2006 China Open.
O'Sullivan begins his campaign against fellow Englishman Robertson at 11:30am GMT on Tuesday 7 March.
The top two from each group progress to the last 16 knock-out stage with the final contested on Saturday 11 March.
Stephen Maguire is the defending champion after his 8-6 win against fellow Scotsman John Higgins in the 2019 final.
He has been drawn alongside Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda and Thailand's women's world champion Mink Nutcharut in Group A.
Six-time world finalist Jimmy White will face Luca Brecel, Barry Hawkins and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in Group B.
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6 Red World Championship group stage
Group A
- Stephen Maguire (Sco)
- Ding Junhui (Chn)
- Zhang Anda (Chn)
- Mink Nutcharut (Tha)
Group B
- Luca Brecel (Bel)
- Barry Hawkins (Eng)
- Jimmy White (Eng)
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
Group C
- John Higgins (Sco)
- Hossein Vafaei (Irn)
- Ken Doherty (Ire)
- Poramin Danjirakul (Tha)
Group D
- Judd Trump (Eng)
- Ricky Walden (Eng)
- Ma Hailong (Chn)
- Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn (Tha)
Group E
- Mark Selby (Eng)
- Ali Carter (Eng)
- Chris Wakelin (Eng)
- Dechawat Poomjaeng (Tha)
Group F
- Mark Allen (NI)
- Mark Williams (Wal)
- Andres Petrov (Est)
- Sunny Akani (Tha)
Group G
- Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- Stuart Bingham (Eng)
- Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
- Mahmoud El Hareedy (Egy)
Group H
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)
- Jimmy Robertson (Eng)
- James Wattana (Tha)
- Stan Moody (Eng)
- - -
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