Here is the announcement by WST:

2025 Halo World Championship Draw

The draw for the final stages of the 2025 Halo World Championship has been made with defending champion Kyren Wilson being pitted against Scottish Open winner Lei Peifan, who meet on Saturday morning.

The balls were pulled out on BBC Radio 5 Live by presenters Rick Edwards and Rachel Burden. The 16 seeds were drawn out at random against the 16 qualifiers.

A mouth watering repeat of the 2008 and 2012 world finals gets underway on the afternoon of Tuesday April 22nd, with seven-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan taking on Ali Carter, while world number one Judd Trump’s clash with China’s Zhou Yuelong begins that evening.

The full draw is below:

Kyren Wilson (1) v Lei Peifan
Jak Jones (16) v Zhao Xintong
Neil Robertson (9) v Chris Wakelin
Mark Allen (8) v Fan Zhengyi
——-
Ronnie O’Sullivan (5) v Ali Carter
Zhang Anda (12) v Pang Junxu
Si Jiahui (13) v David Gilbert
Mark Selby (4) v Ben Woollaston 
——-
John Higgins (3) v Joe O’Connor 
Xiao Guodong (14) v Matthew Selt
Barry Hawkins (11) v Hossein Vafaei
Mark Williams (6) v Wu Yize
——-
Luca Brecel (7) v Ryan Day
Ding Junhui (10) v Zak Surety
Shaun Murphy (15) v Daniel Wells
Judd Trump (2) v Zhou Yuelong

I will not lie, I’m not happy. My worst fear was that Ronnie could draw Ali, and of course it happened¹ … as I expected actually. Ronnie has an excellent head-to-head against Ali, he’s won 24 of the 27 matches they played so far, but Ali is someone who gets under his skin and facing someone like that, may be he last thing Ronnie wants as he’s not been at his best mentally and emotionally for months. If he withdraws, I would understand. That said some media today suggest that he will play and maybe that draw may play the other way around, it may awake the competitive animal in him as he hates losing to Ali … time will tell. If Ronnie does play, and does win his first match, he has a decent chance to reach the QFs … where he could face Mark Selby. Ouch!

Now let’s have a look at the other matches in prospect.

Kyren Wilson v Lei Peifan . I expect Kyren to win this one, and to win it without too much fuss. Of course, all eyes will be on him, and “the curse” will be brandished by the media, but Kyren will definitely come out there well prepared.

Jak Jones v Zhao Xintong. Jak Jones is a player who thrives in longer formats but I believe that Zhao will “out pot” him. Zhao is extremely hungry and eager to redeem himself. He will be a menace for as long as he’s in the draw. Zhao Xintong to win.

Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin. Now this is an interesting one. Neil can “outpot” everyone on his day, but if it goes tactical he may well struggle against Chris . Sitting on the fence here.

Mark Allen v Fan Zhengyi. I will go with Mark Allen here. He’s a far more complete and versatile player nowadays. He’s also able to be very patient when necessary. If he can’t dominate Fan, he will wear him out. Mark Allen to win.

Ronnie O’ Sullivan v Ali Carter. Ronnie to win. Just because it’s what I want to see … 😉

Zhang Anda v Pang Junxu. No clue whatsoever… Sitting on the fence here.

Si Jiahui v David Gilbert. Si Jiahui at his best can be devastating. Gilbert has the advantage that he’s already played two matches in the event, even if it’s not at the same venue. On the other hand, Gilbert is prone to surrendering to frustration when thing don’t go his way. Si Jiahui to win.

Mark Selby v Ben Woollaston. Mark Selby has won this event four times. His opponent, Ben Wollaston, is only emerging from a long spell of health issues and chronic fatigue. Ben has done extremely well to qualify but Selby will grind him out if he can’t dominate him. Mark Selby to win.

John Higgins v Joe O’Connor. This is an intriguing one. Joe in many ways is Mark Selby “disciple”. If any of the qualifiers is able to stand up to the shrewd John Higgins, it’s Joe. If Joe can get to a good start it’s game on. Sitting on the fence here.

Xiao Guodong v Matthew Selt. Wishful thinking time. Xiao to win. Seriously, I think and hope that Xiao can win this one. He has a lot of experience and a good temperament. He won’t be phased by Selt’s dubious tactics.

Barry Hawkins v Hossein Vafaei. Barry Hawkins is a bit of a Crucible specialist. Long matches seem to suit him and he rarely allows his emotions to get the better of him. Hossein is more “volatile”. Barry Hawkins to win.

Mark Williams v Wu Yize. I like both of them. Willo is struggling with his eyes, but he has so much experience and is such a shrewd player that I can’t see past him. Willo to win

Luca Brecel v Ryan Day. I suppose that the outcome of this one will largely depend on Luca’s form and interest in the match. Ryan is a scary potter … but not that great under pressure sometimes. Sitting on the fence here.

Ding Junhui v Zak Surety. Zak Surety has really impressed me in the qualifiers. If he gets used to the venue quickly and puts Ding under pressure early, he’s more than capable to win this match, and to win it comfortably. A lot here will depend on “what” Ding will show up on the day. Zak Surety to win.

Shaun Murphy v Daniel Wells. To be honest, I never expected Wells to make it to the venue. Fair play to him, he proved me wrong. All the same, I can’t see him beat Murphy at the Crucible. Shaun Murphy to win.

Judd Trump v Zhou Yuelong. The way this season has gone, it would be a major shock if Zhou were to beat Judd, and I’m not particularly prone to the use of the word “shock”, but this would be one. Judd Trump to win.

1. And I can’t help wondering if it was really random… . ↩︎