World Championship 2022 snooker: When does Ronnie O'Sullivan begin bid for seventh title? Rocket's schedule, latest odds

ByEurosport

Updated 14/04/2022 at 12:27 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan will arrive in Sheffield next week as the new World No. 1 and chasing a seventh Crucible title in a record 30th straight year appearing at the sport's blue-chip event. We take a look at the provisional schedule and possible permutations for the Rocket ahead of its 46th staging. Stream the 2022 World Championship and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+

WATCH - Ronnie O'Sullivan nets brilliant plant against Noppon Saengkham

Ronnie O'Sullivan will begin his latest bid for a seventh world title on the opening day of the 46th World Championship on Saturday 16 April at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

O'Sullivan, defending champion Mark Selby, tournament favourite Neil Robertson and 2019 winner Judd Trump discovered their early obstacles when the draw was made on Thursday 14 April, two days before the sport's biggest event breaks off before concluding on Monday 2 May.

O'Sullivan – the second seed and winner in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2020 – starts out at 2:30pm BST with nine frames scheduled before concluding at 2:30pm on Sunday 17 April.

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The World No. 1 is seeded to face 15th seed Mark Allen in the second round. They are due to play two sessions on Friday 22 April before concluding the best-of-25 frame match at 2:30pm on Saturday 23 April.

Provided he continues his quest, O'Sullivan would be scheduled to play two sessions of a potential quarter-final on Tuesday 26 April before returning the next morning at 10am on Wednesday 27 April with a semi-final place on the line.

He could meet UK champion Zhao Xintong or 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy – who lost last year's final 18-15 to Selby – in the last eight as he continues the sojourn to equal Stephen Hendry's modern day record of seven world titles.

If O'Sullivan advances to the quarter-finals, he would overtake Hendry as the most prolific match winner since the Crucible first staged the event in 1977, but the 38-time ranking event winner would be hell-bent on going further.

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O'Sullivan is seeded to meet 2010 winner Robertson or old foe John Higgins, the four-time champion, in the semi-finals over three days on 28, 29 and April and Selby or Trump in the final on 1 and 2 May, but the seedings never work out when the competition is so fierce.

Nevertheless, it gives you an idea of the stiff competition that lies between the sport's biggest draw and that record-equalling seventh title.

Rocket's possible path to world title

First round: David Gilbert
Second round: Mark Allen
Quarter-final: Zhao Xintong or Shaun Murphy
Semi-final: Neil Robertson or John Higgins
Final: Mark Selby or Judd Trump

Latest odds

Neil Robertson 4/1
Judd Trump 5/1
Ronnie O'Sullivan 5/1
Mark Selby 8/1
John Higgins 10/1

World Snooker Championship provisional match schedule

Round One (best of 19 frames)

Saturday 16 April

10am: Mark Selby (1) v Jamie Jones
10am: Zhao Xintong (7) v Jamie Clarke
2.30pm: Barry Hawkins (9) v Jackson Page
2.30pm: Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) v David Gilbert
7pm: Mark Selby (1) v Jamie Jones
7pm: Shaun Murphy (10) v Stephen Maguire

Sunday 17 April

10am: Anthony McGill (13) v Liam Highfield
10am: Zhao Xintong (7) v Jamie Clarke
2.30pm: Mark Williams (8) v Michael White
2.30pm: Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) v David Gilbert
7pm: Barry Hawkins (9) v Jackson Page
7pm: Shaun Murphy (10) v Stephen Maguire

Monday 18 April

10am: Anthony McGill (13) v Liam Highfield
10am: Mark Allen (15) v Scott Donaldson
2.30pm: Mark Williams (8) v Michael White
2.30pm: Neil Robertson (3) v Ashley Hugill
7pm: Stuart Bingham (12) v Lyu Haotian
7pm: Mark Allen (15) v Scott Donaldson

Tuesday 19 April

10am: Yan Bingtao (16) v Chris Wakelin
10am: Neil Robertson (3) v Ashley Hugill
2.30pm: Stuart Bingham (12) v Lyu Haotian
2.30pm: John Higgins (6) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
7pm: Yan Bingtao (16) v Chris Wakelin
7pm: Jack Lisowski (14) v Matthew Stevens

Wednesday 20 April

10am: Kyren Wilson (5) v Ding Junhui
10am: John Higgins (6) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
2.30pm: Judd Trump (4) v Hossein Vafaei
2.30pm: Jack Lisowski (14) v Matthew Stevens
7pm: Kyren Wilson (5) v Ding Junhui
7pm: Luca Brecel (11) v Noppon Saengkham

Thursday 21 April

1pm: Luca Brecel (11) v Noppon Saengkham
7pm: Judd Trump (4) v Hossein Vafaei

Round Two (best of 25 frames)

Thursday 21 April

1pm: Hawkins or Page v Williams or White
7pm: Zhao or Clarke v Murphy or Maguire

Friday 22 April

10am: Hawkins or Page v Williams or White
10am: Allen or Donaldson v O’Sullivan or Gilbert
2.30pm: Selby or Jones v Yan or Wakelin
2.30pm: Zhao or Clarke v Murphy or Maguire
7pm: Hawkins or Page v Williams or White
7pm: Allen or Donaldson v O’Sullivan or Gilbert

Saturday 23 April

10am: Selby or Jones v Yan or Wakelin
10am: Zhao or Clarke v Murphy or Maguire
2.30pm: McGill or Highfield v Trump or Vafaei
2.30pm: Allen or Donaldson v O’Sullivan or Gilbert
7pm: Selby or Jones v Yan or Wakelin to finish
7pm: Robertson or Hugill v Lisowski or Stevens

Sunday 24 April

10am: Wilson or Ding v Bingham or Haotian
10am: Brecel or Saengkham v Higgins or Un-Nooh
2.30pm: McGill or Highfield v Trump or Vafaei
2.30pm: Robertson or Hugill v Lisowski or Stevens
7pm: Wilson or Ding v Bingham or Haotian
7pm: Brecel or Saengkham v Higgins or Un-Nooh

Monday 25 April

1pm: Wilson or Ding v Bingham or Haotian
1pm: Brecel or Saengkham v Higgins or Un-Nooh
7pm: McGill or Highfield v Trump or Vafaei
7pm: Robertson or Hugill v Lisowski or Stevens

Quarter-finals (best of 25 frames)

Tuesday 26 April

10am: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin v Hawkins or Page/Williams or White
10am: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert v Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire
2:30pm: Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian v McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei
2:30pm: Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens v Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh
7pm: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin v Hawkins or Page/Williams or White
7pm: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert v Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire

Wednesday 27 April

10am: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert v Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire
10am: Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian v McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei
2:30pm: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin v Hawkins or Page/Williams or White
2:30pm: Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens v Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh
7pm: Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian v McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei
7pm: Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens v Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh

Semi-finals (best of 33 frames)

Thursday 28 April

1pm: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert/Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire v Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens/Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh
7pm: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin/Hawkins or Page/Williams or White v Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian/McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei

Friday 29 April

10am: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert/Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire v Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens v Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh
2:30pm: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin/Hawkins or Page/Williams or White v Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian/McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei
7pm: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert/Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire v Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens/Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh

Saturday 30 April

10am: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin/Hawkins or Page/Williams or White v Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian/McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei
2:30pm: Allen or Donaldson/O’Sullivan or Gilbert/Zhao or Clarke/Murphy or Maguire v Robertson or Hugill/Lisowski or Stevens/Brecel or Saengkham/Higgins or Un-Nooh
7pm: Selby or Jones/Yan or Wakelin/Hawkins or Page/Williams or White v Wilson or Ding/Bingham or Haotian/McGill or Highfield/Trump or Vafaei

Final (best of 35 frames)