[Jack_]

So after the qualifiers concluded yesterday with some big names including Mark Williams, Peter Ebdon, Graeme Dott, Steve Davis and Jimmy White failing to make the last 32, the draw for the first round took place earlier on today.

Those 16 matches are as follows:



And here's the schedule for those first round matches:

Spoiler:

Saturday 19 April

10:00
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Robin Hull (Fin)
Stuart Bingham (Eng) v Ken Doherty (Ire)

14:30
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Jamie Cope (Eng)
Stephen Maguire (Sco) v Ryan Day (Wal)

19:00
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Robin Hull (Fin)
Allister Carter (Eng) v Xiao Guodong (Chn)

Sunday 20 April

10:00
Stuart Bingham (Eng) v Ken Doherty (Ire)
Joe Perry (Eng) v Jamie Burnett (Sco)

14:30
Allister Carter (Eng) v Xiao Guodong (Chn)
Ding Junhui (Chn) v Michael Wasley (Eng)

19:00
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Jamie Cope (Eng)
Stephen Maguire (Sco) v Ryan Day (Wal)

Monday 21 April

10:00
Joe Perry (Eng) v Jamie Burnett (Sco)
Mark Selby (Eng) v Michael White (Wal)

14:30
Ding Junhui (Chn) v Michael Wasley (Eng)
John Higgins (Sco) v Alan McManus (Sco)

19:00
Mark Selby (Eng) v Michael White (Wal)
Ricky Walden (Eng) v Kyren Wilson (Eng)

Tuesday 22 April

10:00
John Higgins (Sco) v Alan McManus (Sco)
Marco Fu (HK) v Martin Gould (Eng)

14:30
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v David Gilbert (Eng)
Judd Trump (Eng) v Tom Ford (Eng)

19:00
Ricky Walden (Eng) v Kyren Wilson (Eng)
Mark Allen (NI) v Michael Holt (Eng)

Wednesday 23 April

10:00
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v David Gilbert (Eng)
Judd Trump (Eng) v Tom Ford (Eng)

14:30
Marco Fu (HK) v Martin Gould (Eng)
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Robbie Williams (Eng)

19:00
Mark Allen (NI) v Michael Holt (Eng)
Mark Davis (Eng) v Dominic Dale (Wal)

Thursday 24 April

13:00
Mark Davis (Eng) v Dominic Dale (Wal)

19:00
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Robbie Williams (Eng)

Source

Coverage begins on BBC2 at 10am this Saturday for Ronnie's opening match and continues over the next two weeks on the Red Button and online. All BBC schedule timings can be found here

Looking forward to this! can't believe it's come around so quickly though

[reece(:]

Stanning for Trump, Carter and Robertson

Robertson going against Robbie Williams

[Jack_]

Neil and Ronnie are finally at either ends of the draw so please can we finally get them in a World final, it'd be perfect

[Locke.]

Finding it hard to care without Hendry around. I like Michael White and Trump but nowhere near as much.

[InOne]

Do you mind if we merge this with the one I made a few years ago? Sorry Jack didn't see this before I posted in mine lol

[Jack_]

I only made a new one cause this event usually has a few more followers so thought it might be good to have a separate thread

[DDRickyDD]

I hope Murphy wins his 2nd title, it'll probably be another win for O'Sullivan, though. Robertson is the only player that could push him close in the Final. Trump is massively overrated, he'll amount to nothing.

[Jack_]

Ugh no I can't stand Murphy's game, I want Ronnie to push closer to Hendry's World titles record these next few years. Hope he's in good form

I'm gutted Luca Brecel didn't make it past the qualifiers, he was great at the UK Championship a few years back

[Jack_]

Interesting match up so far, Hull doesn't seem too bad at all

Like that new touch screen they have in the Winter Gardens studio

[Jack_]

That pink along the cushion screwed back to get on the black what a shot to win a frame in which he needed a snooker

[Jack_]

Good start from Ronnie this morning, nice to see Ken Doherty reducing a 3-0 deficit to just 5-4 on the other side as well. Would be nice to see him win actually

[Jack_]

Glad Ken beat Bingham, some interesting matches since then too. The Ding/Wasley match has been great and still has two frames left to play later because they overran earlier and this Mark Selby/Michael White (who I'm starting to think is a great player and has a lot of nerve) is just about to go into a final frame decider

Seems a lot of the underdogs are holding their own against the seeds this year, good to see

[Jack_]

INCREDIBLE end to the Ding/Michael Wasley match, that last frame was thrilling to watch

Three great snookers for Ding with just the pink and black left but what a great victory for Michael

[Jack_]

Not looking good at all for Ronnie Joe Perry playing the best I've ever seen him...

[Crimson Dynamo]

[Jack_]

Someone not seeing and understanding how interesting and tension-filled a snooker match can be...how surprising...

[DDRickyDD]

It looks like Perry will struggle to close it out. I can see O'Sullivan turning it around tomorrow, the greats usually save their best level for the most important moments of a match.

[InOne]

I was thinking that if they'd have played on tonight Perry would have probably lost. I can imagine Ronnie stepping it up a few gears tomorrow and the nerves getting to Perry

[Jack_]

Some good stuff the last few days, need to catch up on Ronnie's demolition of Murphy (which I am over the moon about, was worried he might take Ronnie out) earlier today. Close call during the Perry match though but those two centuries he pulled out to win 13-11 were awesome.

Amazing comeback from Dominic Dale to be trailing 11-5 and then go 12-11, how gutting it'd be to lose the final frame decider at that point

This Judd and Neil match has also been great and Neil's FINALLY got his 100th century of the season I was beginning to think he'd lose this match having only made 99, you would be so pissed off...

[Jack_]

Excellent stuff from Ronnie last night to see off Barry with a session to spare

Really great match as well so far between Robertson and Selby. So, so hoping Neil can pull this one off so I can finally get the World final I've waited six years for

I have a feeling Mark may take this one though

[Me. I Am Salman]

bitch this is just snooker get that warning sign out the way

[Jack_]

Snooker is awesome bye

[reece(:]

Ronnie in the final yet again, slay a little

coming for that third consecutive win

[Alf]

Come on The Jester from Leicester

[Jack_]

Gutted Neil didn't make the final, probably never gonna have another chance to get the World final I've wanted for like six years

I'm starting to get really worried about this final now...