World Championship snooker: Can Ronnie O'Sullivan keep world No. 1 spot after predicting 'carnage' for Crucible seeds?

Ronnie O’Sullivan goes into the 46th World Championship at the Crucible Theatre as snooker's leading player, but what does he have to do to keep the coveted world No. 1 spot? The 38-time ranking event winner replaced world champion Mark Selby at the top of the rankings earlier this month despite losing 10-9 to Neil Robertson in an epic semi-final at the Tour Championship in Llandudno. Ad/> Yet it could be a short-lived return to the summit with O'Sullivan needing to pull off a record-equalling seventh world title on Monday 2 May to have any chance of retaining the position at the end of the season.

World ChampionshipWorld Championship LIVE: Selby, O’Sullivan in action on blockbuster opening day2 HOURS AGO With the £500,000 first prize he picked up for his sixth world triumph (18-8) against Kyren Wilson in August 2020 set to drop off his points tally, the snooker GOAT is provisionally forecast to drop back to world No. 4 behind Selby, Robertson and Judd Trump. /> In a record 30th straight year competing in Sheffield, O'Sullivan feels the first round could be a bloodbath with the world's top 16 all at risk of early exits.

Seven of the top 16 were bundled out in the first round in 2016 with six losing in 2018 including Stuart Bingham and Selby, who were defending the title in those respective years. “I think the first round is going to be like Formula One going into the first corner. It’s going to be carnage.