Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will begin his quest for a record-extending ninth UK Championship crown when he takes on Barry Hawkins in the first round of this year's event at York's Barbican Centre on Saturday.

The Rocket is always the headline draw at whatever tournament he plays, but he heads into the first Triple Crown event of the season with questions surrounding his form and match sharpness.

Hawkins will certainly provide O'Sullivan with a stern opening test in what will be a repeat of the 2013 World Championship final, which the Rocket won 18-12.

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins betting tips and predictions

Barry Hawkins +2.5 match handicap - 4/6

O'Sullivan will be making his 30th appearance at the UK Championship this year and it is a tournament he has enjoyed a great affinity with over the years.

The Rocket landed his first ranking-event success in this event 31 years ago, beating Stephen Hendry in the 1993 final, while he lifted the trophy for the eighth time by seeing off Ding Junhui in last year's showpiece.

Not only has O'Sullivan won a record total of UK crowns, but he also has more Triple Crown successes (23) and ranking titles (41) to his name than any other player, although his last tournament victory came at the World Grand Prix in January.

A 10-month wait for a ranking title has to be regarded as a drought for a player of O'Sullivan's standards and he admitted earlier this season that, at 48, he is having to "pace" himself in a bid to extend his career.

It certainly hasn't been a vintage campaign so far for O'Sullivan, whose best performance to date was a run to the Xi'an Grand Prix semi-finals in August.

Since then, the world number five has suffered early exits at the English Open, International Championship and last week's Champion of Champions where he was knocked out in the first round by Xiao Guodong.

Those are the only three events O'Sullivan has played in since early September and although he has proven in the past he is capable of hitting his stride at the big tournaments, it would be no surprise if there was an element of rust to his performance on Saturday.

That could open the door for Hawkins, who beat Alfie Burden and Wang Yuchen in qualifying to reach the main draw of the UK Championship for the 20th time in his career.

He has enjoyed solid, if unspectacular, runs to third rounds of the Wuhan and Northern Ireland Opens, as well as the International Championship over recent weeks.

Hawkins does not have a great record when facing O'Sullivan - not many players do - as he has won only three of their 21 previous head-to-heads, although one of those successes did come in a Triple Crown event at the 2016 World Championship.

The Hawk also led 3-2 when the two players last met at this year’s Masters before succumbing to a 6-3 defeat, while in the semi-finals of the 2021 Tour Championship, O'Sullivan was pushed all the way before edging through 10-9.

Given O'Sullivan's form and lack of competitive table time, a similar pattern could play out in Saturday's match.

Do not be surprised if the Rocket still manages to win, but Hawkins is worthy of consideration in the Match Handicap market.

Under 1.5 match centuries - 5/4

Another record that O'Sullivan holds is the most century breaks recorded in history (1,275), but given his lack of table time this season, it is no surprise only 11 of those have come during 2024/25.

That leaves him joint-22nd on the seasonal list alongside Hawkins, who is a player the Rocket has struggled to score heavily against in the past.

Across the last five meetings between the two, O'Sullivan has registered only one century break, while Hawkins has recorded just five in his last six clashes with the Rocket and three of those came in the same match.

Their most recent head-to-head at this year's Masters did not produce a single three-figure break, with the highest knock proving to be the 88 O'Sullivan recorded in the opening frame of his eventual 6-3 success.

That was a best-of-11 frame contest like this one and Saturday's match could follow a similar pattern where break building is at a premium. It would be no surprise if there was no more than one century break across the match.

Read more snooker betting tips and predictions on site

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins odds

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 4/11
Barry Hawkins - 11/5

View the full market and more odds for Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins on site

Read Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins how to watch, TV channel, date, venue, head-to-head stats and more on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.