MARK Selby will launch his Betfred World Championship title defence against Ireland’s Fergal O’Brien.
After winning the world title in 2014 and 2016, and sitting at the top of the world rankings for the last two years, Selby is widely regarded as the man to beat.
The 33-year-old from Leicester also won the China Open at the start of April, and looks in good shape to become the first player to follow-up that title with Crucible glory.
The match will begin at 10am tomorrow, with the champion playing first in accordance with tradition as the tournament gets under way.
Ronnie O’Sullivan last landed the world title when achieving back-to-back successes in 2012 and 2013, and the five-time winner will face Wallsend cueman Gary Wilson in his opener. Wilson is one of five debutants in the draw.
Four-time champion John Higgins plays Martin Gould, while the strongly fancied Judd Trump, the 2011 runner-up, has veteran Rory McLeod in the first round.
A clash of former champions sees Stuart Bingham play Peter Ebdon, while 2006 Crucible king Graeme Dott is rewarded for qualifying this time with an opener against two-time former runner-up Ali Carter.
An all-Scottish clash sees Anthony McGill set a tough task against qualifier – and former semi-finalist – Stephen Maguire.
The 17-day tournament runs through to May 1, and the champion will collect record prize money of £375,000. This year’s World Championship sees the Crucible reach a 40th anniversary as the host venue, with a parade of past champions taking place at the theatre on Friday evening.
Welshman Mark Williams, beaten in the final round of qualifying, is expected to be the only living past champion absent from the celebration event.
Dott hinted he too would have made his excuses had he lost his final-round qualifier to Jamie Jones.
The 39-year-old Scot said on Wednesday night: “If I had lost I don’t know if I could bear it, being there when you’re not in the tournament. It would have been so brutal.”
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn announced during last year’s final that the tournament would be staying in Sheffield for a further ten years.
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