Draw revealed for the 2025 UK Snooker Championship as top stars discover first round fate in York

The draw for the final rounds of the £1.2 million event was made on Thursday afternoon with the world’s top 16 randomly pitched against the 16 qualifiers.

As the current champ, Trump will begin his title defence in the opening session of the televised stages of the tournament on Saturday afternoon.

The world number one secured the second UK crown of his illustrious career last year when he defeated Barry Hawkins 10-8 in an engrossing final, but he has not won a title on the professional circuit since.

Maguire - who navigated two qualifying ties in Wigan to reach the main draw - is enjoying a revitalising 2025 during which he won his first ranking title in five years at the Championship League.

Labelled by Stephen Hendry as the man to beat in York, reigning world champion Zhao Xintong will face Chinese compatriot Long Zehuang.

Winner of this title in 2021, Zhao comes here high on confidence having won the Riyadh Season Championship in Saudi Arabia last week.

Record eight-time UK Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has a tricky opening assignment against the in-form Zhou Yuelong. China’s Zhou reached the final of September’s English Open where he was denied a maiden ranking title in a deciding frame.

O’Sullivan is the youngest and oldest UK Champion in history and will hope to draw on fond memories of this Triple Crown event as he aims to end a 20-month wait for a ranking trophy.

The other members of the revered ‘Class of 92’ Mark Williams and John Higgins will face David Gilbert and Ben Woollaston, respectively.

2024 World Champion Kyren Wilson is the only player from the top 11 seeds who hasn’t won this prestigious accolade before. ‘The Warrior’ starts his latest UK campaign against world number 21 Elliot Slessor - the highest ranked qualifier.

Number one on the seasonal list, current Saudi Arabia Masters champion Neil Robertson is going for his fourth UK glory. The Australian meets 22-year-old Belgian Julien Leclercq - the lowest ranked qualifier at 81st in the world.

Two players who will be coming here buzzing are International Championship winner Wu Yize and Champion of Champions winner Mark Selby who haven't been involved in top flight action since those triumphs.

Wu makes his bow as a ranking event champion and top 16 star against a quarter-finalist here last year Michael Holt, while Selby starts his latest pursuit for a UK hat-trick with a tricky test against reigning Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan.

One of the form players of the season, so far, reigning Masters and British Open champion Shaun Murphy shares the baize with Lyu Haotian.

Victor here in 2022, Mark Allen plays Scott Donaldson; Scotland's Donaldson came back from 5-0 down to defeat Stuart Bingham 6-5 in the final qualifying round, just weeks after the passing of his father.

It's three-time UK Champion Ding Junhui versus Xu Si, and last year's runner-up Hawkins prepares for an encounter with David Lilley.

The remaining last 32 fixtures are: Xiao Guodong v Pang Junxu, Gary Wilson v Zhang Anda, and Si Jiahui v Ryan Day.

Notably, there are 12 Chinese players in the main draw - the same amount as English cueists - and three all-Chinese first round ties.

Visit here for the first round match schedule.