UK Championship: Judd Trump & Ronnie O’Sullivan face tricky openers
World number one Judd Trump will compete against Stephen Maguire when he begins the defense of his UK Championship title on Saturday.
Trump is yet to claim any silverware in 2025 and faces a tough last-32 contest against Maguire, who was England champion in 2004 and also reached the final in 2007 and 2019.
Record eight-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his campaign against China’s Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday.
‘The Rocket’, who turns 50 on the quarter-final day, has won all seven of his previous meetings with the world number 29, who reached the final of the British Open earlier this season.
The first Triple Crown event of the season, which will be shown live on the BBC, takes place at the York Barbican from 29 November to 7 December and offers a top prize of £250,000.
Current world champion Zhao Xintong will face either Long Zehuang or Louis Heathcote on Monday; Kyren Wilson, who won the Crucible in 2024, will portray Elliot Slessor, the highest-ranked qualifier on the field.
Mark Allen played Scott Donaldson, who put up an outstanding fight to defeat Stuart Bingham 5-0 in the heats, while John Higgins drew with Ben Woollaston.
Meanwhile, Mark Selby will face either Lei Peifan or Jimmy Robertson and Shaun Murphy will face Lyu Haotian.
British Championship last 32 draws:
Judd Trump vs Stephen Maguire
Si Jiahui – Hossein Vafaei or Ryan Day
Ding Junhui vs Tom Ford or Xu Si
Mark Allen vs. Scott Donaldson
Mark Williams and David Gilbert
Xiao Guodong vs. Pang Junxu or Noppon Saengkham
Wu Yize and Michael Holt
Neil Robertson vs He Guoqiang or Julien Leclercq
Kyren Wilson vs Elliot Slessor
against Barry Hawkins, David Lilley or Artemijs Zizins
Mark Selby vs Lei Peifan or Jimmy Robertson
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. Zhou Yuelong
John Higgins and Ben Woollaston
Shaun Murphy vs Lyu Haotian
Gary Wilson vs. Zhang Anda or Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhao Xintong – Long Zehuang or Louis Heathcote
