Ronnie O’Sullivan is targeting a record-extending ninth UK Snooker Championship title in York as he looks to defend the trophy he won by beating Ding Junhui in the 2023 final.
The Rocket has had a lean 2024/25 season so far and is yet to make a final, with his best results being runs to the semi-finals at the Shanghai Masters and Xi’an Grand Prix.
O’Sullivan, 48, plays Barry Hawkins in the first round of the UK Championship on Saturday, while world No 1 Judd Trump takes on Neil Robertson in a blockbuster opener on Tuesday.
Robertson, a three-time winner of the UK Championship, had to come through qualifying after dropping out of the world’s top 16.
Trump has won the Shanghai Masters and Saudi Arabia Masters this season, while he has also been runner-up in the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open, beaten in both of those finals by reigning world champion Kyren Wilson.
The 2024 UK Championship final will be held on Sunday December 1
Full schedule for UK Championship
First round
Saturday November 23
1pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan (1) vs Barry Hawkins
Shaun Murphy (9) vs Zhao Xintong
7pm
Ding Junhui (8) vs Robert Milkins
Xiao Guodong (16) vs David Gilbert
Sunday November 24
1pm
Mark Allen (4) vs Jackson Page
Ali Carter (12) vs Ryan Day
7pm
Si Jiahui (13) vs Wu Yize
Mark Selby (5) vs Jack Lisowski
Monday November 25
1pm
Chris Wakelin (15) vs Matthew Selt
Kyren Wilson (2) vs Stephen Maguire
7pm
Luca Brecel (7) vs Jak Jones
Gary Wilson (10) vs Michael Holt
Tuesday November 26
1pm
John Higgins (14) vs He Guoqiang
Judd Trump (3) vs Neil Robertson
7pm
Mark Williams (6) vs Stuart Bingham
Zhang Anda (11) vs Qualifier
Last 16
Wednesday November 27 and Thursday November 28
Quarter-finals
Friday November 29
Semi-finals
Saturday November 30
Final
Sunday December 1