Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jack Lisowski will conflict in a blockbuster round-of-32 battle on Tuesday on the 2025 Worldwide Championship in Nanjing.
The pair of Englishmen have each produced four-ton shows within the competitors up to now to arrange an enchanting fixture between the sport’s biggest and the present in-form star.
Lisowski started life as a rating occasion winner in robust trend as he held off a spirited efficiency from Louis Heathcote on Monday.
Many are curious to see whether or not or not final week’s Northern Eire Open success may have a major impression on the Cheltenham cueist’s total consistency.
A date with O’Sullivan will signify a direct check in that regard, notably since Lisowski has by no means crushed the Rocket in 4 earlier makes an attempt.
That run has included a succession of 6-1 drubbings, so he’ll be hoping that this best-of-11 affair will, on the very least, be a bit nearer.
“I’ve acquired Ronnie now, so it’ll be a giant ask to stick with it in opposition to him,” Lisowski instructed the WST. “My sport’s in nice form and he’s the largest check there’s within the sport.”
“I’m not going to say I’m trying ahead to it. I’ve seemed ahead to taking part in him earlier than, and I don’t suppose that’s how one can take a look at it.
“I do know I’ve acquired a extremely powerful sport so I wish to return now, get a very good evening’s sleep, and try to be at my greatest tomorrow.”
All in all, it’s a high-quality lineup of contenders who’re nonetheless concerned on the last-32 stage of the season’s eighth rating event.
O’Sullivan and Lisowski characteristic in a backside half of the draw that additionally contains world primary Judd Trump, world champion Zhao Xintong, and two-time former Worldwide Championship winner Mark Selby.
Trump faces Noppon Saengkham, Zhao is in motion in opposition to countryman Lei Peifan, whereas Selby encounters Daniel Nicely.
In the identical part there’s one other all-Chinese language showdown between Zhang Anda and Wu Yize, with the previous determined to defend the rating factors he earned from his triumph within the occasion two years in the past.
A number of-time rating occasion winners Barry Hawkins and Gary Wilson have powerful opponents in Jak Jones and Si Jiahui respectively, whereas there’s additionally a contest between Anthony McGill and Jimmy Robertson.
The highest half of the 2025 Worldwide Championship draw is simply as stacked with primary seed Ding Junhui fronting the lineup.
The 2024 champion takes on Liam Highfield having already tallied six century breaks in a devastating show of heavy scoring up to now this week.
Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, and John Higgins are additionally on this higher bracket.
World quantity two Wilson entertains Stephen Maguire, a participant who was as soon as ranked simply as excessive on the official rankings checklist.
Robertson meets Yuan Sijun, Murphy takes on Elliot Slessor, whereas Higgins is in motion in opposition to Hossein Vafaei.
For Murphy, the Magician is perhaps relieved to duel with a well-recognized face after being taken the gap in sensational trend by free-scoring 14 year-old Wang Xinzhong within the final spherical.
Former Shoot Out champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, in the meantime, takes on Scott Donaldson whereas there’s one other all-Chinese language match that includes He Guoqiang and Jiang Jun.
Zak Surety’s reward for beating Wuhan Open winner Xiao Guodong is a date with Aaron Hill, who loved a bye by way of to the final 32 following the withdrawal of Ali Carter.
The entire matches on this spherical are to be performed on Tuesday.
2025 Worldwide Championship Draw
Spherical of 32 (bo11)
S1 time: 6:30am UTC (GMT)
S2 time: 11:30am UTC (GMT)
Ding Junhui vs Liam Highfield (S2)
Shaun Murphy vs Elliot Slessor (S2)
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Scott Donaldson (S2)
Hossein Vafaei vs John Higgins (S1)
Neil Robertson vs Yuan Sijun (S2)
Zak Surety vs Aaron Hill (S2)
He Guoqiang vs Jiang Jun (S2)
Stephen Maguire vs Kyren Wilson (S1)
Judd Trump vs Noppon Saengkham (S2)
Zhang Anda vs Wu Yize (S1)
Jak Jones vs Barry Hawkins (S1)
Jack Lisowski vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (S1)
Anthony McGill vs Jimmy Robertson (S1)
Mark Selby vs Daniel Wells (S2)
Gary Wilson vs Si Jiahui (S1)
Lei Peifan vs Zhao Xintong (S1)
Click on right here for the up to date scores and outcomes (snooker.org)
Featured photograph credit score: WST
