Ronnie O'Sullivan's first opponent at the World Snooker Championship will be He Guoqiang, a debutant.
Guoqiang has beaten O'Sullivan in two of their three career meetings.
Aged 25, he qualified for the Crucible for the first time by beating Jack Lisowski, the world No. 18, in qualifying.
Guoqiang enters as the world No. 47 in the rankings.
This season, he has an average break of 27.4, 17 breaks of 100-plus, and 63 breaks of 50-plus. He has won 17 of his 32 matches this season.
Two years ago, Guoqiang was named 'Rookie of the Year.' He earned a spot on the World Snooker Tour for the first time in 2023 after emerging through Asia-Oceania Q School.
Guoqiang is one of 11 Chinese players at the World Snooker Championship, which is a record. This includes the defending champion Zhao Xintong.
O'Sullivan, meanwhile, is aiming for an eighth Crucible title. He and Stephen Hendry are tied at seven in the modern era, a record.
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Elsewhere in the first round, Zhao will meet Liam Highfield. 2024 champion Kyren Wilson plays qualifier Stan Moody, 19.
John Higgins, the four-time winner, will meet Ali Carter, a two-time runner-up, in a high-profile opener. The winner will face O'Sullivan, if he beats Guoqiang, in the second round.
Mark Selby will meet Jak Jones, Liam Pullen will play Chris Wakelin, while Judd Trump has a tough task against Gary Wilson. Poland's first representative at the Crucible, Antoni Kowalski, will face Mark Williams.
