World Championship 2025: When is the draw for first round at Crucible as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Kyren Wilson chase title?

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The final qualifying rounds for the World Championship will conclude on Wednesday evening with 16 players joining the top 16 seeds in the random draw for the round of 32 on Thursday morning. World champion Kyren Wilson begins his title defence on Saturday morning as he bids to become the latest figure to break the 'Crucible curse' by becoming the first maiden winner to retain the title.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

The draw for the first round of the World Championship will take place on Thursday, April 17 at 08:45 (UK time) when the top 16 seeds will discover their path to glory at the sport's biggest tournament.

The qualifying stage for the 49th Crucible event continues to gather pace with the third round of qualifying concluding on Monday before Tuesday and Wednesday sees the fourth and final qualifiers staged by the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

16 winners from the round of 48 will make up the final 32 at the World Championship, with 2015 winner Stuart Bingham, two-time finalist Ali Carter and former semi-finalists David Gilbert, Gary Wilson and Stephen Maguire among the men aiming to book their return to the final stage.

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The action moves across the city on Saturday morning when Kyren Wilson begins the defence of his title at the Crucible Theatre at 10:00 bidding to end the 'Crucible curse' by becoming the first maiden champion to successfully retain the title at the celebrated venue.

Joe Johnson in 1987 and Ken Doherty in 1998 are the only men to reach the final a year after lifting their first title, with Johnson losing to Steve Davis (18-14) in a repeat of the 1986 showpiece and Doherty defeated by John Higgins (18-12).

Wilson is top seed as champion and will be paired with a qualifier in the random draw alongside the other top 15 seeds.

As a mark of the standards in the modern game, Wilson is seeded to face Jak Jones in the second round a year after he defeated the Welshman 18-14 in the 2024 final.

Snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan has yet to reveal whether he will compete in this year's event in his quest to become the most prolific winner of the modern era.

O'Sullivan has not missed the tournament since making his Crucible debut at the age of 17 in 1993, with his title victories achieved in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022.

But other leading figures are chasing their own slice of history, with Mark Selby and John Higgins both bidding to become five-time world champions, a feat that would leave them alone in fifth place on the all-time list of Crucible winners behind O'Sullivan and Hendry on seven and six-time winners Davis and Ray Reardon.

Higgins could also become the first player to win the world title over four different decades, while three-time winner Mark Williams will attempt to become the first man in his 50s to conquer the Crucible.

Elsewhere, Masters holder Shaun Murphy could set a record-winning gap between Crucible titles if he can emulate his 2005 success 20 years later.

And Wilson, Murphy, Luca Brecel, Neil Robertson and world No. 1 Judd Trump are bidding to become only the 10th multiple winners of the World Championship since the Crucible first staged the event in 1977.

Meanwhile, seeds Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui, Xiao Guodong and several qualifiers, including Wu Yize and Zhao Xintong, could create history by becoming China's first world champion.

The 49th World Championship - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - takes place between April 19 and May 5.

2025 World Championship draw

Kyren Wilson (1) v Qualifier
Jak Jones (16) v Qualifier
Neil Robertson (9) v Qualifier
Mark Allen (8) v Qualifier
Ronnie O’Sullivan (5) v Qualifier
Zhang Anda (12) v Qualifier
Si Jiahui (13) v Qualifier
Mark Selby (4) v Qualifier

John Higgins (3) v Qualifier
Xiao Guodong (14) v Qualifier
Barry Hawkins (11) v Qualifier
Mark Williams (6) v Qualifier
Luca Brecel (7) v Qualifier
Ding Junhui (10) v Qualifier
Shaun Murphy (15) v Qualifier
Judd Trump (2) v Qualifier

- - -

Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+

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