Neil Robertson will play world number one Judd Trump in the first round of the UK Championship after advancing past Matthew Stevens 6-2 in the final qualifier in Leicester.
Their encounter will be a repeat of their epic 2020 final, won by the Australian, who also got the better of the Englishman earlier this month at the Champion of Champions.
Robertson, who has won all three of snooker’s Triple crown events, opened with a superb break of 136 against the 2003 winner Stevens, who levelled at 1-1.
However, Robertson then took the next three, including the pivotal fourth frame, which the Welshman had looked on course to win, before sealing the victory.
The 42-year-old’s meeting with Trump is arguably the tie of round one despite there being several other mouthwatering encounters to kick off the televised stages.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and Barry Hawkins will reprise their meetings from the World Championship and Masters finals of 2013 and 2016.
Zhao Xintong, who won the tournament in 2021, will face former world champion Shaun Murphy, after returning from a ban for his involvement in snooker’s biggest match-fixing scandal.
Jack Lisowski, who ended the qualifying run of women’s world champion Bai Yulu, has been drawn to face Mark Selby, with Champion of Champions winner Mark Williams taking on a fellow former Crucible winner in Stuart Bingham.