Ronnie O’Sullivan got his 2026 World Snooker Championship campaign underway with a near-perfect start against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan, now 50 years old, is beginning his quest to win a record eighth world title at the Crucible Theatre and break the current tie with Stephen Hendry – who he matched by claiming his most recent crown in 2022.
He immediately impressed with calm and controlled play that shot him into a 4-0 lead against his 25-year-old challenger in the first half of Tuesday’s afternoon session.
The Rocket then won the fifth frame as well before He found some rhythm and threatened to close the gap having won back-to-back frames to move within three of O’Sullivan. However, O’Sullivan claimed the final two frames of the session, recording a winning breaking of 86 in the final one, to lead 7-2 overnight.
Both players will return to the baize on Wednesday with O’Sullivan three frames away from setting up a mouthwatering second-round clash with fierce, ‘class of’92’ rival John Higgins.
Relive the action from O’Sullivan vs He with our live blog below:
Read MoreRonnie O’Sullivan leads He Guoqiang in near-faultless start to World Championship campaign
World Snooker Championship 2026: Results, schedule and how to watch every match
Ronnie O'Sullivan v He Guoqiang - live updates
- Ronnie O'Sullivan leads He Guoqiang 7-2 in World Snooker Championship first round
- O'Sullivan begins his quest for a record eighth world title at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre
- Judd Trump storms back from 4-1 down to lead Gary Wilson 5-4 before evening session
- Debutant Liam Pullen trails Chris Wakelin 5-4 after first session
Ronnie O’Sullivan leads He Guoqiang in near-faultless start to World Championship campaign
18:14 , Mike JonesRonnie O’Sullivan started with a rare Crucible mis-step but still emerged with a 7-2 lead after the opening session of his first-round match against China’s He Guoqiang at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Heading out for his 34th-consecutive appearance in the event, the 50-year-old accidentally headed towards the wrong table and had to be steered in the right direction by a subtle nudge from referee Rob Spencer.
O’Sullivan leads He in near-faultless start to World Championship campaign
A masterclass from O'Sullivan
17:50 , Mike JonesThe former world snooker champion, Ken Doherty, spoke on BBC Two.
He said: “This has really been a masterclass from Ronnie O'Sullivan.
“It's been like watching a genius at work.”
O'Sullivan leads He by five
17:47 , Mike JonesA strong afternoon from Ronnie O’Sullivan.
O'Sullivan back tomorrow
17:43 , Mike JonesRonnie O’Sullivan is just three frames away from setting up a second round clash with John Higgins.
He will be back at the Crucible tomorrow afternoon as he takes on He Guoqiang in the final session of their first round match.
O’Sullivan has a lead of five frames and looks highly unlikely to give that up.
He will need to step up his quality if he has any hopes of turning this match around.
Their final session begins at 2.30pm on Wednesday.
O'Sullivan ends session with big lead!
17:36 , Mike JonesIt’s a near-perfect start to the 2026 World Championship for Ronnie O’Sullivan who takes a 7-2 lead into tomorrow’s final session against He Guoqiang.
The 50-year-old ends the ninth frame with a break of 86.
The seven-time champion was calm, collected and composed throughout the afternoon and is just three frames away from a second round meeting with John Higgins.
O’Sullivan 7 (19) 2 He
O'Sullivan increases lead!
17:19 , Mike JonesIt’s another frame going the way of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
He swerves around the brown to pot and get another chance to build a big score.
A break of 52 is enough to put him out of touch of He with one frame left to play in this session.
O’Sullivan 6 (19) 2 He
O'Sullivan misses!
17:09 , Mike JonesO’Sullivan looks to hit so far underneath the cueball, to screw it back and avoid the black, he miscues it horribly and his break ends at 32.
However, he’s fortunate that there’s nothing on for He and now the frame is back to being a tactical battle of safety shots.
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 1 He
A tight start
17:05 , Mike JonesThis eighth frame is a bit of a tactical battle as both men look to play safe.
He is first to score but can’t build his break.
O’Sullivan then follows him in and has the opportunity to take control of the frame.
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 1 He
He wins another frame
16:53 , Mike JonesIt’s fine work from He Guoqiang. Methodically working his way around the table, utilising the blue ball before switching down to play off the black.
A break of 63 almost comes to an end as the pink ball hovers over the bottom left pocket before finally dropping in.
Four reds are left and He uses the rest to notch one into the bottom right and leave himself a shot on the pink to the middle right.
The break extends and with it the frame is his. Now He has a century in his sights...
... he doesn’t get it but a break of 77 wins him the frame.
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 1 He
Sullivan error allows He to break
16:46 , Mike JonesDespite a loud round of applause for He after winning that last frame he begins the next one by fouling the black and handing the momentum to O’Sullivan.
The Rocket can’t slice in his shot on the red and He comes back to the table with gusto.
He works his way up to a break of 35, notching off the loose reds, before slipping the blue into the middle left pocket and scattering the rest of the pack.
This should be his frame to lose now...
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 1 He
He claims his first frame!
16:38 , Mike JonesRonnie O’Sullivan has a shot on the penultimate red to then go on a win the frame but he misses it!
That sets up He to sweep the table and with two superb shots on the yellow, and two long pots for the green and brown, he moves too far ahead and secures his first frame of the match.
It’s still a big lead for O’Sullivan but if He can win a couple more frames he’ll feel a lot better about the final session tomorrow.
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 1 He
O'Sullivan fails to capitalise
16:29 , Mike Jones31.
There were three troubling reds over by the right hand cushion and O’Sullivan believes he’s dislodged one enough to slice it in.
He didn’t.
The break ends with O’Sullivan leading by 20 points. He pots a red and the pink with two sweet shots to get the cueball into favourable position and he can play off the black for now.
Can he take this frame?
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 0 He
He struggling
16:26 , Mike JonesHe Guoqiang is struggling. His average break so far in this match is 15.5 and in this sixth frame he’s had three or four chances to put O’Sullivan away.
He’s taken none of them.
O’Sullivan himself has missed a couple of testing shots, and one simple one on the black, but each time he errs He lets him off the hook.
At 5-13, He misses a red and brings O’Sullivan back to the table. The reds are spread but he has a few easier ones to pick off first.
How big will this break be?
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 0 He
O'Sullivan takes fifth frame!
16:14 , Mike JonesO’Sullivan hopes to take control after the miss from He but leaves the final red hanging over the cushion.
That allows his opponent back on the table and He closes the gap to within one point.
The brown is left near the right hand cushion and, after potting the green, he’s left the cueball quite close.
But, a smooth and aggressive pot sees him rattle the brown into the left middle and that seemingly sets up the rest of the frame.
But, he attack the blue too forcefully and it bounces around the middle left pocket and doesn’t drop!
O’Sullivan makes him pay by quickly knocking in the blue and pink. He leads by five now.
O’Sullivan 5 (19) 0 He
He cuts the deficit
16:09 , Mike JonesPreviously He’s biggest break was 25. He eclipses that in this fifth frame and smoothly closes the deficit to O’Sullivan’s 42.
A slight positional error on the blue means he needs to use the rest to keep his break going and he nurses the next red into the bottom right pocket. The black quickly follows to take He past O’Sullivan’s score but he unfortunately doesn’t leave a simplest of shots for the red.
He needs to swerve past a closer ball and as such misses the pocket. He leads 42-44 in this frame.
O’Sullivan 4 (19) 0 He
O'Sullivan opens door for He
16:05 , Mike JonesAfter the mid-session interval Ronnie O’Sullivan and He Guoqiang are back out for the fifth frame.
O’Sullivan is first on the board and rattles of a fine break of 42 before missing a red to the bottom left pocket.
He cannons it off the cushion and opens the door for He to get back into this match.
O’Sullivan 4 (19) 0 He
The new approach making Neil Robertson ‘more confident than ever’
16:04 , Lawrence OstlereO’Sullivan and He have returned to the arena. In the meantime, some afternoon reading:
Why Neil Robertson is ‘more confident than ever’ before World Snooker Championship
Wu Yize through to second round
15:58 , Lawrence OstlereWu Yize makes short work of Lei Peifan, winning 10-2, the most one-sided result so far in the first round.
O'Sullivan wins the fourth frame!
15:41 , Lawrence OstlereA smooth century break by The Rocket, and that is about as dominant a performance as we’ve seen so far at this year’s World Championship. He leads by four at the mid-session interval.
O’Sullivan 4 (19) 0 He
O'Sullivan wins the third frame!
15:27 , Lawrence OstlereA scrappy frame, this one, as He makes a couple more crucial errors to allow O’Sullivan in, including a bizarre push shot. The seven-time champion makes no mistake, sweeping up the colours with a brilliant break in which he moved the pink cleverly off the side cushion en route from green to brown.
O’Sullivan 3 (19) 0 He
Wu on the verge of second round
15:10 , Lawrence OstlereOn the other side of the arena, China’s Wu Yize is now only one frame away from victory, leading his compatriot Lei Peifan 9-2.
O'Sullivan wins the second frame!
15:04 , Lawrence OstlereO’Sullivan makes a break of 35 before allowing He back to the table, but the Chinese player misses a long red with the rest – a sloppy one with the ball close to the right corner pocket. O’Sullivan returns to mop up the frame with a blistering break of 97. Ooof.
O’Sullivan 2 (19) 0 He
O'Sullivan wins the first frame!
14:52 , Lawrence OstlereThat was swift from O’Sullivan, rattling off a break of 72 with ease to lead. He’s quickly in amongst them again in this second frame, too, after a potting nice long red.
O’Sullivan 1 (19) 0 He
O'Sullivan in amongst the balls after He errors
14:45 , Lawrence OstlereSome early mistakes from both players, but He’s latest missed red would appear to be the most costly and O’Sullivan has the chance to build a break. The balls lie a little awkwardly after an early safety exchange, but there is enough to work with to get over the line in one visit.
O'Sullivan arrives for match with He Guoqiang
14:37 , Lawrence OstlereRonnie O’Sullivan is introduced to the crowd as “the greatest player in history” before striding out into the arena with a smile. He will break off.
O'Sullivan bids to win historic No 8
14:22 , Luke BakerRonnie O’Sullivan returns to Sheffield’s iconic Crucible Theatre looking to win the World Snooker Championship for a record eighth time and break the current tie with Stephen Hendry. O’Sullivan matched the Scot when he lifted the trophy for a seventh time in 2022 by beating Judd Trump 18-13 in the final, more than 20 years after he’d claimed his first world title.
‘The Rocket’ is the greatest snooker player of all time and has transcended the sport like no one else, meaning there are always an army of supporters cheering him on in every match he plays. The start of his latest tilt at world title number eight will undoubtedly be eagerly anticipated and those with ticket on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon will be lucky enough to see him in action.
O’Sullivan begins his campaign against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang, who has actually beaten the 50-year-old in two of the three matches they’ve played but doing so in the cauldron of the Crucible, over the best-of-19 frames, is a different proposition altogether.
And for his part, O’Sullivan has been quietly happy with the form he has found in recent times. “I started playing alright a couple of weeks ago,” said O’Sullivan after beating John Higgins in the final of an exhibition in Ireland over the weekend. “For three years, I have been very poor, pretty much every day. So I didn’t think I’d ever have another day where I’d feel good. But the last month I’ve been feeling alright. So it was nice to feel comfortable at the table.” Opponents beware...
Last night: Moody falls to Wilson comeback
14:13 , Lawrence OstlereShell-shocked Stan Moody blew his chance to become the first teenager to win a match at the World Snooker Championship since 2005 as he fell to a 10-7 defeat to 2024 champion Kyren Wilson.
The 19-year-old from Halifax began his Crucible debut in blistering fashion with two centuries and two further breaks over 80 to establish an improbable 6-3 lead at the end of a memorable morning session.
Moody duly extended his lead by taking the first frame upon the evening’s resumption, only for Wilson to reel off seven frames in a row to shatter the qualifier’s hopes of emulating Ronnie O’Sullivan, the last teenager to win a Crucible match 21 years ago.
Teenager Stan Moody misses out on famous victory after Kyren Wilson comeback
Next at the Crucible
14:02 , Lawrence OstlereHere’s what is coming up this afternoon, from around 2.30pm at the Crucible. Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his quest this year for an eighth world title, while Wu Yize looks set to progress to the second round:
Ronnie O’Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang
Wu Yize (10) 8-1 Lei Peifan
Wakelin 5 (19) 4 Pullen
13:43 , Lawrence OstlereAn important frame for Liam Pullen, the 20-year-old debutant who came through qualifying, grabbing the last of the session to trail Chris Wakelin by only one frame before they resume tonight. Pullen had the better pot success (86% v 85%) and long pot success (64% v 36%) and recorded the highest break of 97, so he might count himself a little unlucky to be behind.
Trump 5 (19) 4 Wilson
13:37 , Lawrence OstlereOn the other side of the wall, Judd Trump has made an impressive recovery. Gary Wilson was 4-1 in front and looking sharp but Trump found his groove – including a majestic 128 – and now leads 5-4 before this evening’s session.
Wakelin 5 (19) 3 Pullen
13:19 , Lawrence OstlereYoung Liam Pullen is giving a good account of himself against Chris Wakelin so far today, putting in a break of 97 to close the gap to 4-3 a few minutes ago. But a missed pot down the rail left him befuddled – the pockets appear tight this year – and Wakelin stepped in to restore his two-frame advantage.
World Snooker Championship betting offers, free bets and best betting sites
13:03 , Luke BakerThe World Snooker Championship is underway at the Crucible, with the world’s best players descending on Sheffield for one of the most-watched and most-wagered-on sporting events of spring.
Names including Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump will be contesting the tournament, with significant betting interest generated too, from outrights wagers through to in-play frame betting.
UK bookmakers also run dedicated promotions around the event, with betting offers and betting specials. Here’s our guide to some of the best offers from six key bookies:
World Snooker Championship betting offers, free bets and best betting sites
Who is Wu Yize? China’s ‘new superstar’ tipped by Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the World Snooker Championship
12:45 , Luke BakerWu Yize hails from Lanzhou in the northwest of China, a city famous for its beef noodles. It is a clear beef broth with radish slices, chilli oil and herbs, and aside from his family, it is the thing he misses most: there are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Sheffield, but they don’t do it like home.
It is a small cost for being one of the best young snooker players in the world. Wu moved his life to Yorkshire three years ago to be part of the growing stable of Chinese players in the city, and he could be the next superstar from the group.
The 22-year-old reached finals at the English Open and Scottish Open last season, and comes into the World Snooker Championship as the 10th seed and among the contenders for the title.
Read Lawrence Ostlere’s full profile of Wu:
Who is Wu Yize? China’s ‘new superstar’ tipped by O’Sullivan to conquer snooker world
Latest score: Judd Trump 2-4 Gary Wilson
12:29 , Luke BakerGary Wilson is still looking impressive against world No 1 Judd Trump and has maintained his two-frame lead.
Wilson actually stretched his advantage to 4-1 with a brilliant clearance of 139 in the first frame after the mid-session interval, although Trump claimed the sixth frame to bring it back to 4-2.
A crucial final three frames of the session upcoming. Can Trump get back on terms or will the world No 27 put his foot on the throat of his opponent
Why Zhao Xintong is the man to finally break the ‘Crucible Curse’
12:07 , Luke BakerThe “Crucible Curse” is snooker’s most famous hex. Twenty men who have won their first World Snooker Championship title at the iconic Crucible Theatre since the tournament moved there in 1977 have tried to defend it the next year. All 20 have failed.
Everyone, from surprise, one-off champions to the greatest of all time who would go on to dominate their era have fallen short the year after their first world crown.
But Zhao Xintong might just be different...
Why Zhao Xintong is the man to finally break the ‘Crucible Curse’
Latest score: Gary Wilson surges into lead over Judd Trump
11:47 , Luke BakerSpeaking of seeds, the world No 1 and second seed (with reigning champion Zhao Xintong automatically being top seed) Judd Trump is in action in the morning session.
But it’s been a great start for his opponent Gary Wilson, perhaps the most dangerous qualifier in the tournament – certainly one of the most decorated with three ranking titles to his name.
Wilson has surged into a 3-1 lead, including a break of 77 in the opening frame. He’s looking composed out there. Plenty of time for Trump to respond though.
Meanwhile, on the other table, 20-year-old debutant Liam Pullen won the very first frame he played at the Crucible to lead Chris Wakelin early on but the 13th seed has hit back, including getting the snooker he needed on the final pink in frame two, to take a 3-1 lead into the mid-session interval.
First round results
11:38 , Luke BakerHalf the first-round matches have now been completed at the Crucible and we’ve got a unique situation brewing. So far, every single seeded player has won their match - normally he first round is an absolute bloodbath for the higher-ranked players.
Never in the history of the World Championship has there been a clean sweep of all 16 seeds reaching the second round. Will we see it this year? Surely not...
First-round results
Zhao Xintong (1) 10-7 Liam Highfield
Mark Allen (14) 10-6 Zhang Anda
Barry Hawkins (11) 10-4 Matthew Stevens
Xiao Guodong (9) 10-6 Zhou Yuelong
Mark Williams (6) 10-4 Antoni Kowalski
Ding Junhui (16) 10-5 David Gilbert
John Higgins (5) 10-7 Ali Carter
Kyren Wilson (3) 10-7 Stan Moody
Shaun Murphy criticises Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump’s conduct before World Snooker Championship
11:23 , Luke BakerShaun Murphy has criticised fellow former world champions Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump for missing the launch of the 2026 World Championship in Sheffield.
This year’s players gathered in Tudor Square outside the Crucible Theatre on Friday for a green-carpet ceremony celebrating the relationship between snooker and Sheffield, before media commitments with press and broadcasters inside the venue.
But O’Sullivan and Trump did not appear and unless they can provide a valid reason for their absence, such as a medical issue, they face a sanction from the World Snooker Tour.
Shaun Murphy criticises Ronnie O’Sullivan’s conduct before World Snooker Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan is 50 and still a genius – but can he conquer snooker’s new Chinese dynasty to win historic eighth crown?
11:10 , Luke BakerEven by Ronnie O’Sullivan’s absurd standards, this has been an astonishing season, achieving unfathomable feats including one break which left casual observers wondering how it is possible to score 153, six more than the “maximum” 147.
Even at the age of 50, O’Sullivan is still redefining what is possible on a twelve-by-six table.
O’Sullivan was winning major titles before the current world champion, Zhao Xintong, was born, yet he is still producing moments of unfettered genius.
He arrives at the Crucible chasing a historic eighth world title, which would stand him alone in rarified air, one clear of Stephen Hendry. Significantly, despite his long love-hate relationship with snooker, O’Sullivan has shown he is still motivated to break new ground.
Read Lawrence Ostlere’s full analysis of ‘The Rocket’s’ latest pursuit of history:
Ronnie O’Sullivan is still a genius at 50 – but can he win a historic eighth crown?
How to watch Ronnie O'Sullivan play
10:59 , Luke BakerEvery session of every match at the 2026 World Snooker Championship will be live on the BBC, with BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC red button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website all utilised for coverage across the 17 days.
The tournament is also broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK, with every session shown across their channels and subscribers can also use streaming service HBO Max to watch TNT Sports.
When does Ronnie O’Sullivan play?
10:55 , Luke BakerRonnie O’Sullivan begins his Crucible campaign with a best-of-19, first-round encounter against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang.
The first session of their match, consisting of nine frames, is on Tuesday 21 April, starting at 2.30pm with the concluding session of the match exactly 24 hours later on Wednesday 22 April at 2.30pm.
If O’Sullivan gets through, then his second-round contest will be the best of 25 frames, across three sessions against John Higgins. The first session is on Saturday 25 April at 7pm, the second session is on Sunday 26 April at 7pm and the final, concluding session will be the following afternoon – Monday 27 April at 1pm.
Ronnie O'Sullivan vs He Guoqiang
10:46 , Luke BakerGood morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Ronnie O’Sullivan vs He Guoqiang.
Snooker’s greatest player of all-time begins his quest to win a record eighth World Snooker Championship crown in front of what will surely be a raucous Crucible Theatre crowd.
Stick with us for all the action.
