Ronnie O'Sullivan fixtures and schedule after Masters in build-up to World Championship
It's full steam ahead for Ronnie O'Sullivan after The Masters as he turns his focus to winning a record eighth world championship.
Ronnie O'Sullivan will attempt to win a record eighth world championship this season, but there is plenty of snooker to be played before he can set his sights on the Crucible. The world No. 1 laid down a marker by winning the first triple crown event of the 23-24 season at the UK Championships in December. That has been followed up with a deep run in The Masters but there is an even bigger occasion to come.
Should Rocket Ronnie triumph in April at the World Championship he will move ahead of Stephen Hendry in the all-time world titles list and in doing so will surely be regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time.
But once the Masters final has been decided on Sunday evening there is plenty of snooker to pack in ahead of the world championship.
O'Sullivan will be back in action on Tuesday (January 15) when he faces Junxu Pang in the first round of the World Grand Prix. A week later qualification starts for the World Open and the Rocket has been paired with fellow Englishman and world No. 98 Alfred Burden on January 23.
It's off into Europe then for the German Masters on January 29. Here O'Sullivan will take on Belgium's Julien Leclercq in the first round.
Back on home soil, the Welsh Open is next on February 12, with Scotland's Liam Graham standing in the way of O'Sullivan's progress at an event he has won on four occasions.
Mid-February represents the chance to clinch another respected title at the Players' Championship before the Englishman fulfils his Group 7 fixtures in the Championship League.
The World Open and World Mixed Doubles are the highlights of March before the Tour Championship is staged in the first week of April.
The season finale will arrive in the form of the World Championships at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, beginning on April 20 but O'Sullivan is not the defending champion. That honour is bestowed on Luca Brecel who beat Mark Selby in last year's final.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan's snooker schedule in full
16/1 - World Grand Prix v Junxu Pang
23/1 - World Open qualification v Alfred Burden
29/1 - Germand Grand Prix v Julien Leclercq
12/2 - Welsh Open v Liam Graham
19/2 - Players' Championship starts
18/3 - World Open starts
28-29/2 - Championship League Snooker Group 7 fixtures
30/3 - World Mixed Doubles starts
1/4 - Tour Championship starts
20/4 - World Championship starts