World Snooker Championship Second Round Draw: O'Sullivan v Higgins headlines last 16 Crucible encounters
15 of the 16 seeded players safely navigated a passage through to the second round of the World Snooker Championship.
Despite one or two close calls, most seeded stars, including world champion Zhao Xintong and seven-time titlist Ronnie O'Sullivan, have all come through their opening round encounters, teeing up a number of mouthwatering showdowns in the last 16.
The undoubted highlight of the upcoming action will see the Rocket reacquaint himself with long-term foe John Higgins in South Yorkshire, some 30 years on from the first time the pair of snooker behemoths collided in the World Championship.
An exhilarating all-Chinese showdown will see Asia's first world champion and tournament favourite Xintong coming up against the most successful player from that part of the world, Ding Junhui.
Elsewhere, 2024 winner Kyren Wilson meets 12-time ranking event winner Mark Allen, whilst Barry Hawkins' reward for overcoming former semi-finalist Matthew Stevens is an even more challenging affair with three-time champion of the world, Mark Williams.
Find out the full draw for the last 16 of the 2026 World Snooker Championship below.
World Snooker Championship Second Round Draw
- Zhao Xintong (1) v Ding Junhui (16)
- Xiao Guodong (9) v Shaun Murphy (8)
- John Higgins (5) vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (12)
- Chris Wakelin (13) vs Neil Robertson (4)
- Kyren Wilson (3) vs Mark Allen (14)
- Barry Hawkins (11) vs Mark Williams (6)
- Mark Selby (7) vs Wu Yize (10)
- Hossein Vafaei vs Judd Trump (2)
