• World Snooker Championship

Williams gets the better of Day in first round

Mark Williams progressed to the second roudn © PA Photos

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Former world champion Mark Williams looked in impressive form as he bypassed fellow Welshman Ryan Day to progress to the second round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Williams, who won the Crucible event in both 2000 and 2003, showed flashes of his former brilliance as he disposed of the difficult Day, eventual running out a 10-5 winner.

A high break of 137 came in the sixth frame, but he backed that up with two efforts in the mid-80s in subsequent frames to bring him within a frame of victory, an opportunity he took at the first time of asking with a composed clearance after the balls opened up.

Ali Carter also progressed to the next round, seeing off journeyman Dave Harold with some ease - eventually triumphing 10-3.

Carter never really looked like letting his opponent into the match, despite seeing Harold grab the highest break of the contest (a 92) in the tenth frame), and closed out matters ahead of schedule.

Earlier, seven-time champion Stephen Hendry got his latest campaign off to a solid start, opening up a 6-3 lead against Joe Perry.

A fifth-frame break of 133 was the highlight for the Scot, although he finished the first session with a fine 117 that will give him some momentum when he returns in search of the four frames he still needs to progress.

Masters champion Ding Junhui fired a warning to his rivals as he made a blistering start to his campaign.

Ding, who is bidding to become the first Chinese world champion, made two centuries as he stormed to a 7-0 lead in his first-round match against Jamie Burnett.

Burnett avoided the whitewash, capitalising on a mistake in the eighth frame, but Ding rattled off the final frame to leave him needing just two more frames to book his place in the last 16.

Marcus Campbell left it even later to avoid an embarrassing defeat to zero, winning the first frame of his resumed match with Shaun Murphy, thanks to a break of 62, to avoid a 10-0 defeat. However, world No. 6 Murphy responded with a 61 of his own in the very next stanza to confirm a landslide trumph.

"I put myself under pressure looking for the whitewash. I never had a chance in the opening frame," Murphy noted afterwards.

"I feel as sharp as anybody. I'm in good form and can't wait for the rest of the tournament. I've been practising hard and feel like my game is coming together at the right time."

Jamie Cope held off a spirited fightback from debutant Andrew Pagett to move into the second round at The Crucible.

Pagett took a surprise lead during the opening session on Saturday, but Cope rallied to end the first session 5-4 ahead, and extended his lead, winning the first two to move 7-4 ahead. Cope took a 9-5 lead but struggled to close out the match, eventually claiming a 10-7 victory.

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