Who are the top 16 seeds for the UK Championship snooker? How key changes affect Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhao Xintong

ByDesmond Kane

Updated 26/10/2022 at 10:44 GMT

The UK Championship will emulate the World Championship with the sport's leading 16 players qualifying automatically for the last 32 at the York Barbican via the world rankings. Defending champion Zhao Xintong is top seed with world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan seeded second at the £1,205,000 event. Watch the UK Championship live on discovery+ between 12-20 November.

The world's top 16 players will be seeded through to the last 32 of the £1,205,000 UK Championship at the York Barbican next month (12-20 November).

The World Championship has traditionally seen the sport's leading 16 players seeded through to the finals venue at the Crucible Theatre and the UK will follow a similar blueprint this year.

In reverting back to the sport's historical televised traditions, the top 16 players will also face 16 qualifiers, who must negotiate their path to the first round proper of the sport's second biggest ranking event via Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

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It is the first time the top 16 have been protected by ranking status since 2012 when Mark Selby defeated Shaun Murphy 10-6 in the final.

The changes mean the game's leading players do not have to negotiate a path from the early rounds of the tournament in their quest for the record £250,000 first prize – double the amount Selby earned (£125,000) for claiming the trophy a decade ago.

Defending champion Zhao Xintong – who lifted his first major title with a 10-5 win over Luca Brecel in last year's final – is the top seed with world champion and record seven-time UK winner Ronnie O'Sullivan seeded second.

‘Bigger and better things!’ - Zhao seals UK Championship with another flourish

Neil Robertson lost 6-2 to amateur John Astley in the first round last year after suffering from pulsatile tinnitus in his ears, but the Masters holder will not suffer a repeat as the third seed this year.

2004 UK champion and 2019 finalist Stephen Maguire will have to win two matches to qualify for the event this year, but those inside the elite 16 only need to win five matches to carry off the title.

The world's top 16 after the UK Championship will also be confirmed as the top 16 for the elite Masters tournament at Alexandra Palace (8-15 January) live on Eurosport.

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UK Championship top 16 seeds

• 1. Zhao Xintong (Chn)
• 2. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)
• 3. Neil Robertson (Aus)
• 4. Judd Trump (Eng)
• 5. Mark Selby (Eng)
• 6. John Higgins (Sco)
• 7. Mark Williams (Wal)
• 8. Kyren Wilson (Eng)
• 9. Mark Allen (NI)
• 10. Barry Hawkins (Eng)
• 11. Luca Brecel (Bel)
• 12. Jack Lisowski (Eng)
• 13. Shaun Murphy (Eng)
• 14. Stuart Bingham (Eng)
• 15. Yan Bingtao (Chn)
• 16. Ryan Day (Wal)

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The Home Nations series is back and it is live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, on demand now.

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