Williams advances with comfortable first round victory

Three-time Crucible champion Mark Williams advanced to round two of the snooker World Championship with a comfortable victory over Neath’s Michael White.

White, who was only the second amateur to reach the Crucible after beating Jordan Brown in the final round of World Championship qualifying last week, went down to a 10-3 defeat.

Williams from Blaenau Gwent is this year’s eighth seed, and his victory sets up another all-Welsh clash, as he takes on 20-year-old Jackson Page, who is making his first appearance in the competition, in round two.

Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen set up a clash with six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan after grinding his way to a 10-6 opening-round success against Scott Donaldson.

Allen was far from his best in a scrappy encounter but built on a 5-4 first-session lead to secure his place in the last 16.

Overnight

Former world champion Stuart Bingham compiled the biggest break of the tournament in establishing a 6-3 overnight lead against China’s Lyu Haotian.

Bingham, known as one of the game’s great break builders, produced a 140 clearance in the eighth frame.

The 2015 champion lost the first frame after running out of position on a 46 break.

Lyu, ranked 64 in the world, capitalised on Bingham missing a frame-winning blue, but was soon 2-1 down before replying with a break of 103 to level.

Bingham took control after the interval to take a four-frame lead before Lyu responded late on.

Meanwhile Neil Robertson, the 2010 title-winner, defeated Ashley Hugill 6-3.