World Championship Day 2

Michael White caused an upset as he beat fellow Welshman
Mark Williams 10-6. Image: World Snooker

Michael White caused the first big upset of the tournament as he knocked out Mark Williams 10-6, a player he said he idolised as a child. White led 5-4 overnight and despite Williams taking the first frame of the session, White won the next three including breaks of 65 and 72 to go 8-5 up. Williams won the next but 21-year-old White kept his cool to knock in breaks of 90 and 96 to secure the match.

Barry Hawkins eased through to the last 16, finishing off Jack Liswoski 10-3. The Hawk was already 6-3 up going into the session and won the four he needed, including a top run of 68, to secure the match.

Ricky Walden also cruised into the last 16 with a 10-1 win over Michael Holt. The Chester man was already 8-1 ahead after yesterday’s session and went onto secure the two he needed. A disappointed Holt felt that again the pressure of being at the venue had got to him which is why he struggled so much.

Shaun Murphy is the fifth man into the second round after he defeated Martin Gould 10-5. Murphy was 5-4 up after the opening session and he won a lengthy tenth which lasted 50 minutes. Runs of 95 and 78 put him 8-4 up although Gould snatched one back before the break. The Magician finished well though, compiling breaks of 106 and 95 to cross the line.

Some excellent break-building from Mark Davis put him in the driving seat as he secured a 6-3 first session lead over John Higgins. Higgins started the brightest as he took the opener with a break of 61 and won a scrappy second. But Mark Davis responded by knocking in runs of 68 and 85 to draw level at the interval and went 3-2 up with a 69 break in frame five. Higgins made it 3-3 by taking frame six but Davis won the last three frames of the session including runs of 96 and 64.

Graeme Dott built up a 6-2 lead over Peter Ebdon in the morning session, with the match predictably slow-going. The Scot was 3-1 up at the break and despite Ebdon winning frame five, Dott rolled off the next three on the bounce, including a high break of 70, before they were pulled off a frame early so the afternoon session could begin on time.