O’Sullivan’s return headlines day four at Crucible

Halo World Championship

Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 19 April to 5 May

Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app; live text coverage of selected matches; updates on BBC Radio 5 Live

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s return after three months away from competitive action is the headline attraction on a star-studded fourth day at the World Snooker Championship.

Seven-time champion O’Sullivan will appear at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the 33rd consecutive year when he takes on two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round on Tuesday (14:30 BST).

The 49-year-old has not played a competitive match since snapping his cue at the Championship League in January.

Before the tournament, he told BBC Sport that “to come here is an achievement in itself for me” as he documented his struggles to find his best form in recent years.

Also on Tuesday, world number one Judd Trump and Masters champion Shaun Murphy will get their campaigns under way at a wide-open World Championship.

Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport – which owns a majority stake in the World Snooker Tour – is pleased O’Sullivan has chosen to take part.

He told BBC Sport: “I know what the game and this event means to him and it would be a shame if he wasn’t here.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to compete. Life’s about being happy, not just doing what people want you to do. Everybody wants him to be here but it’s got to come from his own accord.

“Maybe that game is the one just to light the fire a little bit and I’ll be tuning in to see what Ronnie can do.”

His first-round opponent Carter reached world finals in 2008 and 2012, losing to O’Sullivan at the final hurdle on both occasions.

Ranked 18th in the world, the 45-year-old Englishman was the highest-ranked player to progress through qualifying.

O’Sullivan said: “It’ll be a tough match. Ali had a tough start to the season but it looks like in the past two or three months he’s been cueing well, playing well and enjoying it again, which is the most important thing.

“Every match is tough but Ali is a really good match-player. I’ll have to play better than I have been to have a chance of giving him a game.”

Analysis: Jamie Broughton, BBC Radio 5 Live snooker reporter

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

The greatest star in the history of the sport 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 on a few days with Barry Hawkins, and he will believe he can play his way into the tournament as he looks to challenge for a record eighth title.

O’Sullivan starts his campaign against Carter – the two players do not like each other, so that could also add to the atmosphere.

Image source, Getty Images

Trump, 35, has won 30 ranking titles during his decorated career but his 2019 victory at the Crucible is his sole World Championship triumph.

He defeated fellow Englishman Hawkins to win a second UK Championship title in December, a success that helped him to break the record for the most prize money won in a single season.

He plays China’s Zhou Yuelong in round one (19:00), while Murphy starts his best-of-19 match against Crucible debutant Daniel Wells in Tuesday’s morning session (10:00).

It is 20 years since Murphy, now aged 42, won the 2005 World Championship as a qualifier and his form in recent months has given him confidence for another shot at the sport’s biggest prize.

“In previous years I’ve come here hoping for a good performance, whereas this year I know I’m going to play well,” the world number 15 told BBC Sport.

“My game’s in really good shape and I’m really looking forward to getting going. Does that mean I’ll be here come the weekend? Who knows?

“I’ll try my best, I’ve tried my best every years for the past 20 years and I’ve never managed to recreate the magic of 2005, but it’s not been for the lack of trying and this year will be no different.”

10:00 BST

14:30 BST

19:00 BST

*match to be played to a finish

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