WORLD number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will begin the defence of his UK Snooker Championship title in York against either John Parrott or Adrian Gunnell on Saturday, December 7.

'Rocket' Ronnie fires in to action in round six of the championship, when the leading 16 players enter the tournament at the start of the televised stages.

Tickets are now on sale for snooker's second biggest ranking event, which runs from December 2 to 15 at York's Barbican Centre.

O'Sullivan was at his brilliant best in last year's final as he crushed Dublin's Ken Doherty 10-1 to become the fifth player to win the world and UK titles in the same year.

"I'm very proud to be ranked alongside the likes of Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry," said the Chigwell champ.

"When I finish playing snooker and I sit down with my grandchildren, I can say 'what do you think about that?' It's a fantastic achievement to win both in the same year."

O'Sullivan became the youngest winner of a ranking event when he captured the UK Championship in 1993 at the age of 17 and he added a second title in 1997.

He started this season with a bang by winning the Regal Masters in Glasgow, defeating John Higgins 9-4 in the final, and the 27-year-old plans to add plenty more silverware to his mantelpiece.

He said: "I never used to set myself targets but now I'm aiming to win 50 or 60 titles before I retire," he said.

"I'd like to win another three or four world championships and another few UK titles."

O'Sullivan will face stiff competition at the Barbican Centre against the likes of Hendry - a five-times winner of the event - world champion Peter Ebdon, Mark Williams, Higgins, Doherty, Stephen Lee and Matthew Stevens.

Tickets for the early rounds start at £3.50 for adults (£1.75 for children and senior citizens) and go up to £15.50 for the evening session of the final. Season tickets for the whole tournament are available at £100.

To book your seats for call the Barbican Centre box office on York (01904) 656688.

The draw, with the newly announced dates and times of matches, is:

Round 5: John Parrott v Adrian Gunnell (10am and 7pm, Tues, Dec 3), Marco Fu v Gerard Greene (2.30pm, Mon, Dec 2 and 2.30pm, Tues, Dec 3), Drew Henry v Stuart Bingham (10am and 7pm, Mon, Dec 2), Anthony Hamilton v Mark Selby (10am and 7.30pm, Mon, Dec 2), Fergal O'Brien v Stephen Maguire (11am and 5pm, Sun, Dec 1), David Gray v Mark Davis (11am and 5pm, Sun Dec 1), Steve Davis v Paul Wykes (2.30am, Mon Dec 2 and 2.30pm, Tes, Dec 3), Allister Carter v Nick Walker (10am and 7pm, Tues, Dec 3), Anthony Davies v Nick Tyson (10am and 7pm, Tues, Dec 3), Chris Small v Leo Fernandez (2.30pm, Mon, Dec 2 and 2.30pm, Tues, Dec 3) James Wattana v Kwan Poomjang (11am and 5pm, Sun, Dec 1), Dominic Dale v Ewan Henderson (11am and 5pm, Sun, Dec 1), Michael Judges v Barry Pinches (10am and 7pm, Mon, Dec 2) Nigel Bond v Robert Milkins (10am and 7pm, Mon, Dec 2), Tony Drago v David Roe (2.30pm, Mon, Dec 2, and 2.30pm, Tues, Dec 3), Dave Harold v Ian McCulloch (10am and 7pm, Tues, Dec 3)

Round 6: Ronnie O'Sullivan v Parrott or Gunnell (noon and 7pm, Sat, Dec 7), Quinten Hann v Fu or Greene (10am and 7pm, Thurs, Dec 5), Jimmy White v Henry or Bingham (2.30pm Wed, Dec 4 and 2.30pm Thurs, December 5), Stephen Lee v Hamilton or Selby (2.30pm, Wed, Dec 4 and 2.30pm Thurs, Dec 5), Ken Doherty v O'Brien or Maguire (10am and 7pm, Wed, Dec 4), Paul Hunter v Gray or M Davis (10am and 7pm, Wed, 4 Dec), Mark King v S Davis or Wykes (10am and 7.30pm,Thurs, Dec 5), John Higgins v Carter or Walker (noon and 7pm, Sat, Dec 7), Mark Williams v Davies or Dyson (noon, Sat Dec 7 and noon, Sun Dec 8), Joe Perry v Small or Fernandez (10am and 7pm Thurs, Dec 5), Graeme Dott v Wattana or Poomjang (10am and 7pm, Wed, Dec 4), Stephen Hendry v Dale or Henderson (10am and 7pm, Wed, Dec 4) Matthew Stevens v Judge or Pinches (2.30pm Wed, Dec 4 and 2.30pm Thurs, Dec 5), Joe Swail v Bond or Milkins (2.30pm, Wed Dec 4 and 2.30pm, Thurs, Dec 5), Alan McManus v Drago or Roe (10am and 7pm (Thurs, Dec 5), Peter Ebdon v Harold or McCulloch (noon, Sat, Dec 7 and noon, Sunday, Dec 8)

Round 7 will take place between Sunday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 10. The quarter-finals are on Wednesday and Thursday, December 11 and 12, with the semi-finals on Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14.

All matches up to and including the semi-finals will be the best of 17 frames.

The final, over two sessions starting at 2pm and 8pm, will be played on Sunday, December 15 over 19 frames.

Updated: 12:05 Monday, October 28, 2002