Ronnie O'Sullivan is eyeing a record eighth World Snooker Championship crown.

He is tied on seven titles with Stephen Hendry.

Mark Selby and John Higgins are both looking to win the title for a fifth time.

There is plenty of history when it comes to Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Ali Carter.

Formerly practice partners, their relationship appears to have soured over the years. They have met twice with the world title on the line and more recently played out a fiercely contested Masters final in 2024, with O'Sullivan victorious.

After that encounter, O'Sullivan called Carter "not a nice person" and "a nightmare" to play against after being criticised by his opponent.

O'Sullivan, who has claimed a record 41 ranking titles, has dominated their head-to-head meetings previously.

However, Carter did triumph in the second-round contest at the World Championship in April 2018, in another match with a bit of spice to it.

The pair barged shoulders during the 19th frame of Carter's 13-9 second-round win at the Crucible. Referee Paul Collier told the players to get back to the game after words were exchanged between the pair.

O'Sullivan later said the incident was "nothing" - and blamed the media for trying to make a story out of it.

Jamie Broughton
BBC Radio 5 Live at Crucible Theatre

Ronnie O'Sullivan gave some very honest and revealing answers when we spoke before the tournament.

The game's greatest ever star has not been happy with some technical aspects of his game over the past four years, despite winning a number of big titles during that time.

He explained that his reluctance to play on tour since January, when he deliberately broke his cue at an event in Leicester, was the result of that frustration. He also admitted that he had suffered stage fright and maybe even lost his bottle.

But make no mistake, he has been practising hard before the World Championship, including playing a few days with Barry Hawkins, and he will believe he can play his way in the tournament as he looks to contend for a record eighth title in the modern era.

O'Sullivan starts his campaign against Carter - and the two players do not like each other - so that could also add to the atmosphere.

Image source, Getty Images

Two-time Crucible finalist Ali Carter overcame a neck injury in qualifying to set up this blockbuster first-round tie against Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The 45-year-old said he would be off to get some physiotherapy after his 10-5 win over China's He Guoqiang.

He put it down perhaps to being one of the drawbacks of the job with players often finding themselves in unusual positions down on shots and then struggling with their necks and back. Will he be fully recovered for today?

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

A seven-time winner versus a two-time finalist.

There's no doubt that Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Ali Carter was the standout tie from the draw.

There have been long queues outside with fans waiting to get into the arena, while the table two entertainment comes in the form of Ding Junhui versus Zak Surety, with the Chinese player 6-3 ahead.

Not long to go now before the second session gets under way.

Image source, Michael Emons

Image source, Michael Emons

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan tells BBC Sport's Jamie Broughton that he has been struggling on and off with nerves for the past two years.

O'Sullivan only confirmed his participation in the World Championship on Thursday and has not played competitively since snapping his cue at the Championship League in January.

Seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will overcome "stage fright" to take on Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.

O'Sullivan, 49, who only confirmed his participation on Thursday, has not played competitively since snapping his cue at the Championship League in January.

"Because it is the World Championship and the last tournament [of the season] I thought I need to try and break that cycle," he told BBC Sport.

"Call it stage fright, I just haven't had the [will] to go and compete. Call it lost my bottle. You sometimes lose your nerve. Just to come here is an achievement for me.

"The kind of nerves I have [been] feeling off and on for the last two years have not been good nerves. I have just been not wanting to go out there - sometimes struggling to even take my eyes off the floor. The confidence has been draining away, so it has not been a great place to be."

Tuesday's meeting with Carter, who at 18th in the world is the highest ranked qualifier, is a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 Crucible finals, which were both won by 'The Rocket'.

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There's no doubting today's main event - as Ronnie O'Sullivan takes on Ali Carter, with the first session beginning at 14:30 BST before the second session on Wednesday afternoon.

The match is a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 finals, both of which were comfortably won by O'Sullivan, who also defeated Carter in the final of the Masters in 2024.

Carter, who had to win two qualifying matches to get to the Crucible, said on BBC Two: "I've had to do it the hard way. The game is always in a better place when Ronnie is competing and it's a great opportunity for me to play on the big stage and that's where I want to be.

"There's no pressure on me and I have to go out and enjoy it and see what happens."

Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has not played in a ranking tournament in 2025 and said: "Ali is a tremendous match player, capable of beating anybody. I don't see it as a grudge match, I have really good matches with Ali and sometimes it is heat of the moment stuff.

"You have to say Ali is favourite considering I've not played much since December. I will give it my best and just see if I can make a game of it and that will be a victory in itself."

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Time has been called on the match on table one. China's Zhang Anda, the 12th seed, leads 5-3 against compatriot Pang Junxu.

Only eight of the nine frames could be completed with the arena now emptied before the afternoon fun, with Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ali Carter coming up next on table one.

That means an extra frame will be added to the Zhang v Pang second session at 10:00 BST on Wednesday.

If they can't complete the match then the remaining frames will be played on Wednesday evening on whatever table comes free first.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Former world champion Shaun Murphy moved into a commanding 7-2 lead in his first-round tie against Crucible debutant Daniel Wells.

In a high-quality session, 42-year-old Murphy, aiming to win a second world title 20 years after his first success, won four frames in a row to take control.

He needs to win only three more frames when the match resumes on Wednesday morning (10:00 BST).

Murphy won the Masters in January and is looking to become the first player since Judd Trump in 2018-19 to win that and then the World Championship in the same season.

He made a fine start with a break of 64 but Welshman Wells, who had to battle through three qualifying rounds, showed his break-building ability with a clearance of 131.

But Murphy showed his class with breaks of 63, 100, 57 and 138 to move into a dominant 5-1 advantage.

Wells, 36, made his second century with an effort of 109 in frame seven, only for Murphy to instantly restore his four-frame lead with a run of 76. However, Wells had a chance to end the session well but missed a black off the spot with Murphy taking advantage with a break of 89.

Crucible debutant Daniel Wells is showing his break-building skills in his match with 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy.

Wells made a 131 clearance in frame two and has just recorded his second century with a run of 109 in frame seven.

It has been high-quality stuff as there has been a break of at least 50 in every frame, with Murphy 5-2 ahead, although Welshman Wells will be keen to win the final two frames of the session.

Over on table one, Pang Junxu has just compiled a break of 71, the best of the match, and trails fellow Chinese player Zhang Anda 3-2.

Table two is in the seventh frame of the day, with Shaun Murphy 5-1 ahead against Daniel Wells. But we're three frames behind and in the mid-session interval on table one.

Zhang Anda lost the opening frame, but now holds a 3-1 advantage over compatriot Pang Junxu.

There are a scheduled five frames to take place in the rest of the first session, but, unless they can speed up, they may be hauled off before all nine frames can be played.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

It has already been a great season for Shaun Murphy after he won the Masters at Alexandra Palace in London in January.

Can he follow that with what would be a second world title, 20 years after his first Crucible success?

The Masters-World double is not often completed. Judd Trump was the last player to do it in 2018-19 and he was the first since Mark Williams in 2002-03 to win both.

Stephen Hendry claimed the double in four seasons in the 1990s, with Steve Davis (in 1987-88) the only other man to do so since the Crucible has hosted the World Championship.

Murphy has been in fine form so far today and has just rattled in a superb century clearance of 138 to storm into a 5-1 lead over debutant Daniel Wells.

There's no doubting today's main event - as Ronnie O'Sullivan takes on Ali Carter, with the first session beginning at 14:30 BST before the second session on Wednesday afternoon.

The match is a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 finals, both of which were comfortably won by O'Sullivan, who also defeated Carter in the final of the Masters in 2024.

Carter, who had to win two qualifying matches to get to the Crucible, said on BBC Two: "I've had to do it the hard way. The game is always in a better place when Ronnie is competing and it's a great opportunity for me to play on the big stage and that's where I want to be.

"There's no pressure on me and I have to go out and enjoy it and see what happens."

Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has not played in a ranking tournament in 2025 and said: "Ali is a tremendous match player, capable of beating anybody. I don't see it as a grudge match, I have really good matches with Ali and sometimes it is heat of the moment stuff.

"You have to say Ali is favourite considering I've not played much since December. I will give it my best and just see if I can make a game of it and that will be a victory in itself."

Those on the table two side of the arena have been treated to some excellent snooker so far today as Shaun Murphy holds a 3-1 lead over Crucible debutant Daniel Wells at the mid-session interval.

There has been a break of at least 60 in every frame as Murphy has made runs of 64, 63 and 100, while Wells, ranked 49th in the world, compiled an excellent clearance of 131 in frame two.

It has been a more scrappy affair on table one. Pang Junxu took a frame that lasted more than 40 minutes to take the opener before 12th seed Zhang Anda levelled it at 1-1 with a break of 68.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

What a tournament it has been for China as they already have three men into the last 16 with at least another one guaranteed as Pang Junxu takes on Zhang Anda (currently level at 1-1).

Later today, Si Jiahui and Ding Junhui will be aiming to also advance as they play the second sessions of their matches against English pair David Gilbert and Zak Surety respectively, with both Chinese players leading 6-3.

Ten of the 32 at the Crucible this year come from China, a country that is still searching for its first world champion.

Ding has been the one who has come closest to lifting snooker's biggest prize, losing 18-14 to Mark Selby in the 2016 final.

Wales' Daniel Wells, the world number 49, had to win three qualifying matches to get to the Crucible for the first time in his career, with 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy his first-round opponent.

Murphy took the opening frame of the day with a break of 64 along the way, but what a moment for Wells just now as he produces a superb clearance of 131 to make it 1-1.

That's on table two, but it is slow progress on table one as the all-Chinese clash between Pang Junxu and Zhang Anda is still in the opening frame and already at the 40-minute mark, with a safety battle on the yellow.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

Day four of the 2025 World Snooker Championship and what a day it promises to be.

Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan takes on Ali Carter - the man he beat in two of those finals - in the highlight of the day.

Two further world champions are also in action on Tuesday with Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump up against Daniel Wells and Zhou Yuelong respectively.

Two matches will be played to a finish today and it could continue an excellent championship for China as Ding Junhui and Si Jiahui both hold 6-3 leads against Zak Surety and David Gilbert.

10:00 BST

• Zhang Anda v Pang Junxu
• Shaun Murphy v Daniel Wells

14:30 BST

• Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ali Carter
• Ding Junhui 6-3 Zak Surety*

19:00 BST

• Si Jiahui 6-3 David Gilbert*
• Judd Trump v Zhou Yuelong

*match to be played to a finish

BBC Sport

The 2025 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

BBC Sport has comprehensive live coverage of the championship on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and Red Button, while every match will be shown in full on iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.

The final takes place over two days starting on Sunday 4 May.

To read the full guide for draws, results and coverage, click here.

Image source, Getty Images