DEFENDING champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on China’s Liang Wenbo in the first round as he bids for a record seventh Masters title.
The Rocket is the No1 seed after last year’s 10-1 demolition of Barry Hawkins in the final.
O’Sullivan lost out to John Higgins in the Scottish Open quarter-final in December as the rivals competed for a 29th rankings title.
Marco Fu beat the Scot in the final and will be among the contenders in London when the Masters kicks off.
Ronnie O’Sullivan celebrates his sixth win at snooker’s Masters following final at Alexandra Palace
When is the Masters snooker 2017?
O’Sullivan’s clash with Wenbo gets the tournament underway on Sunday January 15.
The first-round clashes will run until Wednesday with the quarter finals beginning the following day.
This year’s final will take place on Sunday January 22.
John Higgins is going for a 29th ranking titlePA:Press Association
How can you get tickets for the Masters snooker?
Tickets are available through World Snooker with prices starting at £22 for the first round clashes.
Some of the early sessions have already sold out – as has the final – but there are still seats available for the quarter and semi-finals.
These are priced from £35 with a restricted view or £44 with a clear line of sight.
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Where is the 2017 Masters being held?
The Masters will be held at Alexandra Palace in London.
It is the second largest snooker venue with a 1,500 capacity – some way short of the Berlin Tempodrom at 2,500.
Alamy Alexandra Palace is a stunning venue which offers spectacular views of London[/caption]
Sheffield’s famous Crucible holds just 980 by comparison.
Alexandra Palace can be reached by rail or bus from Central London.
Where is the Masters snooker being shown on TV?
Getty Images O’Sullivan is bidding for a record seventh title[/caption]
The BBC will be showing every session live on a mixture on BBC One, BBC Two and red button.
Afternoon play will begin at 1pm with evening coverage starting at 7pm.
The full schedule can be found here
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