Ronnie O'Sullivan has 'best draw of the seeds' at 2026 World Snooker Championship but will be rivalled by 'reliable' star, says Alan McManus
By Tom Masters
Published 16/04/2026 at 14:43 GMT+1
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has the "best draw of the seeds" and can go all the way to the title for the eighth time at the Crucible, according to TNT Sports expert Alan McManus.
Lisowski's World Championship qualifying hopes ended by Guoqiang
Video credit: TNT Sports
O’Sullivan was drawn against world No. 47 He Guoqiang in the first round of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
Should The Rocket succeed in defeating He, the 50-year-old will come up against either four-time champion John Higgins or Ali Carter, himself a two-time finalist in what could be a mouth-watering round-of-16 tie.
But despite that potential challenge, McManus, who will be commentating and providing expert analysis on the World Snooker Championships for TNT Sports and HBO Max, believes O’Sullivan is well-equipped to go far in the competition.
”He Guoqiang, I think is quite a difficult guy to read,” McManus told TNT Sports. ”Obviously, he’s on debut, we don’t know that much about him really.
”I always kind of mentioned, well I have mentioned a lot of players down the years, I think I call them a bit of a take-on.
”He doesn’t look on the face of it like a potential world champion, let’s say, but he’s going to be a difficult opponent.
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'What a break' - O'Sullivan makes first century of semi-final to move within one of victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
”I think he’s quite a cool customer, certainly showed that when beating Jack [Lisowski] in the last round of qualifying.
”I do also think Ronnie is coming in with some good form, I think he’ll play really well in the championship. I also think that O’Sullivan probably has got the best draw of the seeds.
”I think on paper, albeit, it is not played on paper, but I think for Ronnie, it is a good draw.
”Not that he is bothered about who he is playing, but it’s quite a nice one, as I say on paper, to maybe get his feet under the table and find some form and get comfortable with it playing at the Crucible again.
”I think he does [have an opportunity to win his eighth title]. I know that it was a bit of an exhibition event that he won, the Goffs in Ireland a few days ago, but I think he’ll be playing nicely.
”I think also, if it is true that he is spending his time in Ireland mostly at the moment, I think that is a good thing as well, I think he’ll have a decent practice base over there.
”He’ll be putting in the hours and I think there is a great chance that he’s going to [win].”
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Despite his bullish remarks on O’Sullivan’s ability to go the distance and become the outright most successful player in the modern era, moving ahead of Stephen Hendry, there is another name that McManus checked when talking about potential winners.
That was Mark Selby, with The Jester no stranger to Crucible glory, having won the title in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
”I think if I was going to pick someone, it would be from the bottom half of the draw, which I think is not easier, but I think if you are looking for someone to get to the final, I would go with Mark Selby,” McManus said.
”The main reason I would, is because if you are to ask the question, pick one player that you can hang your hat on and who will get to the semi-finals at least, for me it would be Selby.
”I think the draw for him is not terrible, albeit again, they’re all good players.
”But if I pick one player that would be reliable in my mind to get to the semi-finals, it would be him and then bearing in mind, once he gets there, he is maybe going to be the favourite, because by that time, he has played into form.
”He’s got the history, four times a winner, so for those reasons, I would go with Mark Selby.”
There is a lot of excitement about two young British debutants at this year’s World Championships, in the form of Liam Pullen and Stan Moody - the latter having battled through tonsillitis during qualifying to seal his spot in the final 32.
It is Moody in particular who intrigues McManus and the three-time semi-finalist believes the teenager can overcome Kyren Wilson, the 2024 champion.
”The one I think that has got a massive chance of upsetting one of the very top seeds is young Stan Moody,” McManus added.
”You know, obviously, anyone in the game has been watching him closely over the last two or three years, and I think he’s a fabulous player.
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'What a win' - Moody keeps cool to beat Higgins in dramatic decider
Video credit: TNT Sports
”I think he has got every chance of upsetting Kyren [Wilson], I also think that it is not the draw that Kyren would have wanted.
”I think if you were as a seed looking at the list of 16 qualifiers and you’d pick out three or four, Stan Moody would have been certainly one of mine that I wouldn’t have wanted probably alongside Ali Carter and maybe Jack Jones and Gary Wilson.
”It’s not a banana skin because they’re all good players these days, but I think Kyren’s got his work cut out there and added to the fact that he’s had a poor season in ranking events.
”If he was to go out again in the first round, it would be a major setback to him, so he’s going to be under a lot of pressure against young Stan. He’s only 19 as well.
”Starting his adventure at the Crucible, he’s going to play there many, many times, so that, for me, is a standout tie, albeit there are a lot of them.
How to watch the World Snooker Championship
You can watch every day of the World Championship live on TNT Sports.
It is available both live and on-demand on HBO Max.
The tournament will run from Saturday, April 18 to Monday, May 4 at the Crucible in Sheffield.
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