The British pair are long-time rivals, and O’Sullivan, considered by many to be the best snooker player of all time, has said he does not feel confident ahead of the match, having taken a three-month break from snooker.
He is yet to play a ranking event in 2025 having withdrawn from the Championship League in January. He lost four of five matches in the competition, forfeiting his final group match after losing to Robert Milkins.
Speaking ahead of the match, O’Sullivan hinted he is low on confidence: “I took time out because my game was pretty awful, so having more time out was probably not the best idea. Ali is a really good match player, and usually plays well at the Crucible.
“It is kind of stacked against me, but I have to start somewhere.”
How to watch O’Sullivan vs Carter
TV channel: In the UK, the World Snooker Championship is being broadcast live and free-to-air across the BBC. Coverage of the afternoon session today begins on BBC Two at 1pm BST.
The match is also being shown live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins from 2:30pm and runs through to 5:30pm.
Live stream: O’Sullivan vs Carter will be shown in full on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Those with a TNT Sports subscription can also watch the match live online via the Discovery+ app.
