This is the draw for the first round at the Crucible
It’s not an easy draw for Ronnie by any means, but at least Theppy is a player who plays fast and open. It won’t drag them and us in a quagmire of negative shots and it should be entertaining.
This is what Ronnie told Eurosport after the draw:
Un-Nooh overcame Liam Highfield in qualifying, and his reward is a second meeting with five-time world champion O’Sullivan, six years after he won their encounter at the German Masters.
The 44-year-old O’Sullivan has given his reaction to facing Un-Nooh in the opening round, and he is certainly not feeling an edge around the match given the good nature of his opponent.
“He’s a guy I like playing and one of the few I don’t actually mind losing to as he’s such a nice guy,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport after the draw.
Everyone on the circuit would love to see him do well and win tournaments as he’s a very humble and respected by everyone.
That doesn’t mean that Ronnie won’t try his best, but it’s a match he should be able to enjoy and I prefer it this way.
Here are some infos and guidelines for fans who wish to attend:
Have you got tickets for the Betfred World Championship or are you thinking of buying some? If you need more information, hopefully this answers your questions…
Are tickets still available?
Yes, limited numbers are still on sale for certain sessions – for details see www.cruciblesnooker.com
I had tickets for the original dates and I decided to keep them but I have not had confirmation yet, what should I do?
You will receive an email from the Crucible confirming the details of your E-tickets. It is a huge administration task for the Crucible to process every booking but rest assured if you opted to attend the 2020 event, you will have tickets. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Can I book tickets with people from a different household?
Tickets are available in fixed group sizes (bubbles) where one, two, three or four tickets are seated together and each group is distanced from the other groups in the auditorium. Each bubble can be purchased by only one booker, and as per government guidelines each booking is strictly limited to a maximum of two households.
Please select seats based on your group size. If you select a bubble of more seats than you intend to purchase, you will not be able to complete your purchase. For example if you want two tickets you will not be able to purchase within a bubble of four. If a bubble is not available for your group size, you are unable to purchase for that session.
Click here to see an example of the seating plan in line with guidance provided by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.What happens when I arrive at the venue?
There will be socially-distanced queuing systems in Tudor Square before the doors open, which will be open 45 minutes before the session starts. As you enter the venue, your bags will be checked. You will be given a face mask which must be worn while moving around the venue. Please head into the arena and find your seat, being very careful to turn your back if you are moving along rows past other fans. Once seated you can remove your face mask, then remember to put it back on whenever you leave your seat.
Will there be food and drink?
No, for hygiene reasons there will be no food and drink inside the venue. You can buy commentary radios, using contactless payment on Tudor Square.
Will there be toilets?
Yes the toilets will be available but ideally please use them before or after the session rather than moving in and out of the arena while play is in progress. There will also be toilets available on Tudor Square.
Will I be temperature checked?
No. But if you or any of your party have any Covid-19 symptoms please do not travel to the eventMore information on ticket purchasing and the fans Code of Conduct is available here.
Above all, please stay safe and follow these guidelines but ENJOY the event – it is one of the world’s great sporting events and you will be among the few watching it live under unique circumstances.
Not everyone though is convinced that it’s safe. Anthony Hamilton isn’t, that’s a certainty:
And Marcel Eckardt will be in charge of the Final
Marcel Eckardt will become the youngest referee to take charge of the Crucible final at this year’s Betfred World Championship.
The 30-year-old from Gera in Germany will officiate the final in Sheffield on August 15 and 16. Paul Collier currently holds the record as the youngest to referee the final; he was 33 in 2004.
Eckardt first worked on the World Snooker Tour in 2010 and refereed his first final at the German Masters in 2015. In 2018 he took charge of his first Triple Crown final at the UK Championship. He made his Crucible debut in 2015 and last year he officiated one of the semi-finals for the first time.
“It’s will be a massive moment for me, it is the match you want to do as a professional referee. I can’t wait for it,” said Eckardt. “To be the youngest to take charge of the final is great because I have worked very hard to get this far. It will be very special. The semi-final last year was incredible and that has given me the right experience.”
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 
I hope it will be an interesting match between Ronnie and Thepchaiya. It should be… but with Ronnie at the crucible, you never know these days, sadly enough…
I find it so odd that he says that Thep is “one of the few guys he don’t actually mind losing to”… why does he say something like that?
Ronnie never says such a thing at any other tournament. But for the WSC he always seems to come up with some strange reason on why it would be ok to lose in the first round.
I believe Ronnie still wants a world title and ideally 2 or even 3. It is still in his head. It is the only thing left in snooker that he can add to his legacy.
Still, every year (especially since that loss in 2014) he goes on with some ‘casual reasons’ to lose early… It is so weird to me and it scares me every time because I feel that it is a little sign that he is still not 100% focussed on the WSC. Why can’t he just keep quiet for once, go into the WSC and give it his very best shot?
I’m not saying he won’t do that now (it was clear that past two years he did not really care as he looked very, very uninterested and bored at press conferences in the days leading up to the WSC. He was always busy with his phone when other players were talking and aswering questions from the media for example) but such a comment about “I don’t mind losing to him” can only motivate Thepchaiya a bit I think.
Every year, I look forward to the WSC with the hope that Ronnie will do well again, but the last few days before it actually starts I get anxious mainly to see in what mental state Ronnie will be, and the last few years… it was not a good one to say the least…
Let’s hope that finally something good will happen this year and that Ronnie will perform well. Good luck!
I honestly don’t believe that it’s lack of interest, or lack of desire. I believe that it’s a combination of trying to put less pressure on himself, and still the aftermath of the 2014 defeat that was very, very painful. He never got over it. Last year, he wasn’t well. That was plain for all to see and even Matt Huart, who works for WPBSA, made that clear on social media. Every year the bookies make him a favourite, even this year he’s second favourite only behind Trump. Nothing in his season justifies that. Even this year the press has wanted to talk to him much more than to Trump ahead of the tournament. He has a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure on him. And being someone very concerned about health, this year’s circumstances add even more pressure. I wouldn;t expect too much TBH.
I agree, it’d be so much more pleasant if Ronnie didn’t come up with quotes like this. I also agree that it was awful last year to witness that marked display of disinterest. I understand that it is to lessen the pressure on himself, but it seems he ends up “believing his own propaganda”.
True that the press is always after him, because he is more interesting than the other players, but it is he who provides the “interesting” soundbites: “I don’t mind losing to him” before the first round of the SWC is obviously a more catchy headline than the standard I’ll do my best, he is a good player etc.
I know I should feel more excited about the tournament coming up in the drought of this summer, but this snooker season has been so terrible that I am not sure I’m happy to see it continue. On the other hand, I suppose it can’t be more awful than last year. (Mais si, mais si, it can – says the optimist…)
If Ronnie win in 1R, beat Hendy’s “first match in Crucible” record. A double milestones.
28 consecutive appearances // win (least 1) match in 24 different season…it’s massive.
I think that Thepchaiya is ultimately a good draw for Ronnie. I think I’d rather have him face a relatively good but fast player than a relatively bad but slow one. The main downside of this pairing is that one of them will have to lose in the first round…
seconded.