Ronnie O’Sullivan v Joe O’Connor live stream | World Grand Prix 2026 preview

Ronnie O’Sullivan launches his quest for a fourth World Grand Prix title on Wednesday when he plays Joe O’Connor in Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

The Rocket is the joint-most successful player in the history of this tournament, along with Judd Trump, having lifted the trophy in 2018, 2021 and on his last appearance in 2024.

O’Sullivan did not defend his title last year on medical grounds, but will descend on the Kai Tak Arena this time around, having qualified via his run to the Saudi Arabia Masters final.

The seven-time World champion has appeared sporadically this season, though he memorably left his mark in Riyadh, compiling two maximum breaks during his semi-final victory over Chris Wakelin.

It was also at that event that he faced O’Connor for the only time in a ranking event, hitting breaks of 116, 90 and 89 as he outscored his opponent 498-55 during a commanding 5-0 whitewash.

O’Sullivan made a brief return to action at last week’s German Masters, where he was beaten 5-3 by old rival Ali Carter in the last 32, and will want to continue building his match sharpness during the latter months of the season.

His opponent is making only his second appearance at the World Grand Prix, having reached the Championship League final at the start of the season.

Yet, aside from reaching the quarter-finals at the Scottish Open, where he was a runner-up in 2022, O’Connor has endured a generally modest campaign.

Nevertheless, the world number 26 knows what it takes to claim a scalp on the big stage, having beaten Mark Selby on his Crucible debut two years ago. Therefore, he will see no reason why he cannot repeat the feat against O’Sullivan.

A showdown with Xiao Guodong, who knocked out world number two Kyren Wilson on Tuesday, awaits the winner of this clash in the second round.

The match breaks off at 5am GMT (1pm local time) on Wednesday and will be contested over the best of nine frames in Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

How to watch Ronnie O’Sullivan v Joe O’Connor live stream

18+ | Funded account required | Geo restrictions may apply | Please Gamble Responsibly

1) Go to Bet365 via this special link

2) Register an account, place a £10 first bet and get £30 in Free Bets* (18+ only, T&Cs apply)

3) Once registered, go to the sports homepage and select ‘Snooker’ from the left-hand menu

4) Select the play icon next to the match in progress and the stream window will appear

*18+ only. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5-£10* (*or currency equivalent) to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required. GambleAware.org