World Snooker Championship 2022 draw: Ronnie O'Sullivan faces David Gilbert, Judd Trump handed Hossein Vafaei test

ByEurosport

Updated 14/04/2022 at 11:16 GMT

The World Championship begins at the Crucible in Sheffield on April 16 and a champion will be crowned on May 2. Reigning champion Mark Selby and leading contenders Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson are all taking part in the championship. Six-time champion O'Sullivan will take on David Gilbert in a mouthwatering first round match.

Watch the moment Selby clinches fourth world title at Crucible

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been drawn against David Gilbert in the first round of the World Championship.

The world No. 1, who is bidding to win a record-equalling seventh title at The Crucible, will face the Championship League winner and 2019 semi-finalist in a thrilling first-round clash.

Judd Trump, who won his sole world title in 2019, will play tournament debutant Hossein Vafaei, who is set to become the first Iranian to ever take part in the tournament and marked his passage by blasting "disrespectful" O'Sullivan.

World Championship

O'Sullivan and Bingham level after opening session, Higgins behind to Wilson

a day ago

Neil Robertson, the 2010 champion and an in-form favourite to win it this year, will play tournament debutant Ashley Hugill.

Defending champion Mark Selby, going for his fifth title, will open his campaign against Jamie Jones.

John Higgins, who won the first of his four World Championship titles in 1998, faces Thepchaiya Un-Nooh who played Higgins on his debut.

'It means everything to me' - Selby on fourth world title at Crucible

Elsewhere, world No. 5 Kyren Wilson meets 14-time ranking event winner Ding Junhui, who emerged from qualifying and made the final in 2016, while three-time champion Mark Williams will play Michael White in an all-Welsh clash.

Last year's Masters winner Yan Bingtao will play Chris Wakelin, who came through three qualifying matches and continued his record of never losing on Judgement Day.

Former champion Shaun Murphy, who reached the final last year, will play Stephen Maguire who is back for a 19th consecutive Crucible campaign. .

Mark Allen, a former semi-finalist and newly-crowned Northern Ireland Open champion, will play Scott Donaldson, who thrashed Allan Taylor 10-1 in the qualifiers. Allen could face O'Sullivan in the second round.

The tournament gets underway on Saturday.

THE DRAW IN FULL

Mark Selby (1) v Jamie Jones
Yan Bingtao (16) v Chris Wakelin
Barry Hawkins (9) v Jackson Page
Mark Williams (8) v Michael White
Kyren Wilson (5) v Ding Junhui
Stuart Bingham (12) v Lyu Haotian
Anthony McGill (13) v Liam Highfield
Judd Trump (4) v Hossein Vafaei
Neil Robertson (3) v Ashley Hugill
Jack Lisowski (14) v Matthew Stevens
Luca Brecel (11) v Noppon Saengkham
John Higgins (6) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhao Xintong (7) v Jamie Clarke
Shaun Murphy (10) v Stephen Maguire
Mark Allen (15) v Scott Donaldson
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) v David Gilbert

Matches in the first round of the main draw are played as the best-of-19 frames. Second-round matches and quarter-finals are played as the best-of-25 frames, and the semi-finals are the best-of-33 frames.

The final will be played over two days as a best-of-35 frames match.