Davis drawn against Higgins

Mark Davis will take on John Higgins at the Betfair World Snooker Championship

The draw was made live on talkSPORT radio this afternoon (Monday) and Davis, the highest ranked qualifier, was handed an eye-catching tie against four-time champion Higgins.

World number 16 Davis pulled off a thrilling 6-5 victory over seventh-ranked Higgins en route to the semi-finals of the UK Championship during December. Davis hit back-to-back century breaks to lead 5-2 before Higgins replied with a 147 only for Davis to pinch a nerve-jangling decider.

He also beat the Scot 3-0 in a Championship League game the following month, but Higgins is one of the most successful players of all time at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield having won the title in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

The best of 19 frames encounter will get under way from 2.30pm on Sunday with the second session following 24 hours later. There will be comprehensive television coverage of the sport’s blue riband event on the BBC and Eurosport.

Davis will be playing at The Crucible for the eighth time as a result of his 10-6 victory over Liang Wenbo in the final round of the qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield yesterday.

The 40-year-old, who has twice reached the last 16, is currently enjoying the best season of his career having reached the semi-finals of three full ranking events, as well as winning the Six Reds World Championship.

Full draw: Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marcus Campbell; Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston; Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird; John Higgins v Mark Davis; Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould; Graeme Dott v Peter Ebdon; Matthew Stevens v Marco Fu; Judd Trump v Dominic Dale; Neil Robertson v Robert Milkins; Ricky Walden v Michael Holt; Mark Williams v Michael White; Stephen Maguire v Dechewat Poomjaeng; Mark Allen v Mark King; Ding Junhui v Alan McManus; Barry Hawkins v Jack Lisowski;

Mark Selby v Matthew Selt.