World Snooker Championship: O’Sullivan Heads Off Wu as Lei Takes Early Lead

Ronnie O’Sullivan began his bid for a record-breaking eighth World Snooker Championship title with a first-round match against China’s debutant He Guoqiang at the Crucible in Sheffield on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

The seven-time world champion, aged 50, opened his campaign with a strong start, taking an early 2-0 lead in the best-of-19 frames encounter. O’Sullivan compiled a break of 97 in the first frame, aided by a fortunate rebound of the yellow ball into the middle pocket, before securing the frame with a composed clearance.

In the second frame, O’Sullivan recovered from a couple of unpunished errors to extend his advantage. A stylish pot of the pink into the middle pocket contributed to a break of 35, taking him to 75 points and effectively closing out the frame.

He Guoqiang, ranked 47th in the world and making his Crucible debut after qualifying with a win over Jack Lisowski, struggled to settle against the experienced O’Sullivan. The young Chinese player inadvertently knocked in the brown during a safety attempt, leaving the cue ball in a favorable position for O’Sullivan, who potted it with power and precision.

Although O’Sullivan later bungled a safety shot, He Guoqiang was unable to capitalize and force his way back into the frame. The session saw other first-round matches underway, including Wu Yize leading 8-2 against Lei Peifan on Table 2 and morning session results showing Chris Wakelin defeating Liam Pullen 5-4 and Judd Trump edging past Gary Wilson by the same score.

The draw for the 2026 World Snooker Championship placed O’Sullivan against He Guoqiang in the opening round, with the match scheduled to conclude on Wednesday if required. Sixteen qualifiers joined the top 16 ranked players at the tournament, which began qualifying play at the English Institute of Sport earlier in the week.

Elsewhere in the draw, world number one Judd Trump faced Gary Wilson, Masters champion Kyren Wilson took on 19-year-old debutant Stan Moody, and four-time champion John Higgins met two-time runner-up Ali Carter. Mark Selby, also a four-time Crucible winner, was set to play 2024 runner-up Jak Jones, while the other debutants Liam Pullen and Antoni Kowalski were drawn against Chris Wakelin and Mark Williams respectively.

Zhao Xintong, who became the first Chinese player to win the world title by claiming the 2025 edition, was scheduled to begin his defence on Saturday at 10:00 BST against Liam Highfield. The 2026 final is set to be played over Sunday, May 3 and Monday, May 4 at the Crucible Theatre.

O’Sullivan, who won his first world title in 2001, holds the record for most world titles in the modern era alongside Stephen Hendry, each with seven crowns. A victory in 2026 would see him surpass that mark and become the outright leader in the sport’s modern history.