Ronnie O’Sullivan v Barry Hawkins live stream | Shanghai Masters 2025 preview
O’Sullivan and Hawkins collide in round two (Credit: PA Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his 2025-26 season against Barry Hawkins in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
The Rocket plays his opening match of what he hopes will be an improved campaign, having failed to land any silverware last term.
O’Sullivan did reach the semi-finals of this event, which he has won on five previous occasions, though he was denied a fifth successive title by eventual champion Judd Trump.
The seven-time World champion also made the last four at the Crucible, but his hopes of landing that record-breaking eighth crown were ended by a crushing 17-7 defeat at the hands of Zhao Xintong.
Nevertheless, O’Sullivan does boast an impressive head-to-head record against Hawkins, who he has beaten in 18 of their 22 previous encounters.
That includes an 11-9 victory in the 2018 Shanghai Masters showpiece, giving him the third of his five Shanghai titles.
The Hawk, though, will not be deterred by that, having prevailed 6-4 in their most recent meeting in the opening round of last season’s UK Championship.
Hawkins went on to reach the final at the York Barbican Centre – losing out on the title to Judd Trump – while he also got to the German Masters showpiece, only to be denied in a deciding frame by Kyren Wilson.
The left-hander will hope to enjoy more deep runs this term, and was in good scoring form during his 6-4 victory over 2024 English and Scottish Open finalist Wu Yize in the opening round – hitting breaks of 102, 86, 79, 66, 63 and 61 along the way.
A showdown with 2024 World Champion – and 2015 Shanghai Masters victor – Wilson awaits the winner of this clash in the quarter-finals.
The match gets under way at 12.30pm BST on Wednesday and will be contested over the best of 11 frames at Luwan Gymnasium in Shanghai.
How to watch Ronnie O’Sullivan v Barry Hawkins live stream
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