Mark Allen bids for second UK Championship title as Antrim star meets Welshman Jackson Page in the last 32

Antrim man Allen, who won the tournament in 2022 against Ding Junhui, faces his Welsh opponent who is ranked 41 in the world in Sunday's afternoon session.

Allen became the first ever world number one from Northern Ireland at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season and has won the Masters previously in his career.

Elsewhere, Shaun Murphy faces one of the toughest possible starts if he is to realise his ambition of joining an exclusive club of multiple ‘triple crown’ title winners when the tournament kicks off in York today.

The Sheffield 42-year-old has won one each of the three biggest tournaments over the course of his career but admitted he would feel like he had not fulfilled his potential if he finishes without managing to add to that tally.

Murphy has been drawn against former winner Zhao Xintong, who has swept through four qualifying rounds as an amateur invitee having recently returned from a two-year ban for his indirect involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Their clash caps a mouthwatering Saturday afternoon session in which eight-time and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is also in action against former world finalist Barry Hawkins.

Murphy said: “I think if I end my career with only one each of those three tournaments I will be slightly disappointed.

“I feel like perhaps I should have more to show for things to this point. I’ve got plenty of years left, but you’d want to be winning a few of these events soon.

“I think there’s a special place in the sport’s history for multiple winners of these tournaments. It’s another opportunity for me to join that club and I’ll give it my best shot.”

Another player looking to improve his roster of ‘triple crown’ titles is world champion Kyren Wilson, who heads to York having built on his Crucible success by winning two ranking titles already this season.

But like Murphy, Wilson will have to do it the hard way when he gets his campaign underway on Monday as he also prepares to meet a former winner in 2004 champion Stephen Maguire.

“I think there’s always a bit of added pressure with the ‘triple crown’ events because obviously they come around once a year and they’re so prestigious, everybody wants to make them count so everybody tries a little bit harder and deep down wants to win these a little bit more than the others,” said Wilson.

“I think it’s about patience and resilience. Sometimes you have to go back to basics a little bit and just sort of chill out.

“I don’t take things as much to heart and I believe in the process nowadays. Perhaps in the past I might have said I believed I could do this or win this and there might have been a niggling doubt in the back of my mind.

“But now that I’ve ticked off that world title and gone on to beat the very best and perform at a high consistent level, all that has completely gone and I really believe in some of the statements I’m coming out with.”

Other notable ties include Jack Lisowski, who ended the qualifying run of women’s world champion Bai Yulu, has been drawn to face Mark Selby, with Champion of Champions winner Mark Williams taking on qualifier Stuart Bingham.