Ronnie thinks the draw for the World Championship is fixed
O'Sullivan's match-up with Ding, a repeat of January's Masters final, was the stand-out tie of the draw.
Ding has soared up the world rankings in the last two seasons, and is rated among the favourites for the title in Sheffield on his Crucible debut.
'Whoever is doing the draw is trying to stitch me up'
Ronnie O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan, who won at The Crucible in 2001 and 2004, has faced tricky opponents in his first-round matches in recent years.
He lost to Marco Fu in the opening round of the 2003 tournament, and had to beat Scotland's Stephen Maguire in 2004 and 2005.