Even though he is ranked second, Ronnie O’Sullivan may have one of the toughest World Championship draws possible. The 12-man Tour Championship in Manchester will take place next week, which is the penultimate event of the season before the World Championships in Sheffield. Only three of the final seedings are known ahead of the Crucible, with defending champion Luca Brecel at the top, Mark Selby at number five, and Robert Milkins at number sixteen. As things stand with the provisional rankings, however, O’Sullivan and Judd Trump are set to face each other in the semi-finals in Sheffield. O’Sullivan is scheduled to face Barry Hawkins in the second round before facing 2005 world champion and three-time Crucible finalist Shaun Murphy in the quarterfinals. Furthermore, if he landed one of the hardest World Championship draws possible,O’Sullivan is one victory away from surpassing Stephen Hendry as the most successful world champion of the contemporary era. O’Sullivan has won the world title seven times. But when it comes to the World Championship seedings in the Tour Championship, a lot may happen. Judd Trump is the Tour’s top seed in Manchester, followed by O’Sullivan. Once their respective title defenses get underway in the quarterfinals, both will receive a guarantee of £30,000. O’Sullivan hopes to start The Crucible as the top player in the world (Getty) O’Sullivan hopes to start The Crucible as the top player in the world (Getty) If Trump wins the Tour Championships hands-down or advances to the final and O’Sullivan loses in the match, he is aware that he will be back at the top of the global rankings for the first time since 2021.
