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| Venue: Alexandra Palace, London. Dates: 8-15 January |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan will play Luca Brecel in the first round of the Masters, while reigning champion Neil Robertson faces Shaun Murphy.
The event, one of snooker’s three events in the sport’s ‘Triple Crown’, will take place at London’s Alexandra Palace from 8-15 January.
The draw for the first round took place during the UK Championship final between Ding Junhui and Mark Allen.
China’s Ding will return to the Masters if he beats Allen in Sunday’s final.
The Masters features the top 16 players in the world rankings at the end of the UK Championship and Ding will move up from 38th to 10th if he defeats Northern Ireland’s Allen – aiming to win the title for the first time.
However, if Ding loses to Allen, the last spot in the Masters will be taken by China’s Yan Bingtao and either Ding or Yan will play three-time world champion Mark Williams.
Belgian Brecel, 27, is ranked 11th in the world and lost in the final of the 2021 UK Championship.
The match between Robertson and Murphy sees two former world champions go head-to-head, while Allen will hope to continue his good form when he takes on Barry Hawkins, who lost to Robertson in the 2022 Masters final.
2023 Masters first-round draw
- Mark Selby (ENG) v Zhao Xintong (CHN)
- Judd Trump (ENG) v Ryan Day (WAL)
- Ronnie O’Sullivan (ENG) v Luca Brecel (BEL)
- John Higgins (SCO) v Jack Lisowski (ENG)
- Neil Robertson (AUS) v Shaun Murphy (ENG)
- Kyren Wilson (ENG) v Stuart Bingham (ENG)
- Mark Allen (NI) v Barry Hawkins (ENG)
- Mark Williams (WAL) v Yan Bingtao (CHN) or Ding Junhui (CHN)
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By Michael Emons
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