THE FIRST round draw of the Masters has been announced with defending champion Mark Selby drawn against Mark Davis.

Selby won the Masters title for a third time in January when he defeated Neil Robertson at London’s Alexandra Palace.

This year’s Masters tournament takes place at the same venue between January 12 – 19.

The draw, which was carried out by three-times Masters finalist John Parrot and WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson, also saw world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan drawn against Masters debutant Robert Milkins.

The pair faced each other in the last 16 of the UK Championship with O’Sullivan wasting little time to make the quarter-finals stage after recording a 6-0 win.

Two-times Masters winner John Higgins faces Stuart Bingham and Barry Hawkins and Ricky Walden will battle it out against each other in a repeat of this year’s World Championship semi-final at the Crucible.

Judd Trump will face Marco Fu and Ding Junhui will play Shaun Murphy who made the final of the famous invitational event in 2012.

Neil Robertson, who has made the final in the past two seasons, takes on Mark Allen in what on paper is an exciting encounter and Stephen Maguire faces Joe Perry who this season lifted his first title since turning professional more than 20 years ago.

The Masters 2014 – First Round Draw:

Mark SELBY vs Mark DAVIS

Stuart BINGHAM vs John HIGGINS

Judd TRUMP vs Marco FU

Ding JUNHUI vs Shaun MURPHY

Neil ROBERTSON vs Mark ALLEN

Stephen MAGUIRE vs Joe PERRY

Barry HAWKINS vs Ricky WALDEN

Ronnie O’SULLIVAN vs Robert MILKINS