Players Championship Day 1

Ben Woollaston defeated defending champion Ding Junhui
on the opening day of the Players Championship in Preston.
Image: Monique Limbos

Defending champion Ding Junhui was knocked out of the Players Championship as Ben Woollaston sprung a fantastic comeback to battle back from 3-0 down to win 4-3. The Leicester cueman really struggled in the opening encounters as he found himself a frame from defeat after Ding had made breaks of 68 and 65. However a run of 68 helped him stop the rot and he won the next two to force a decider, which he won 78-7.

Here's an interview with Ben Woollaston after his win.

Next up for Woollaston is John Higgins as he beat Jimmy Robertson 4-2 at the Guild Hall in Preston on Tuesday afternoon. World number 54 Robertson started the better and led 2-1 thanks to runs of 52 and 130, currently the tournament’s highest break. However, Higgins secured the lead with breaks of 56 and 57 and secured the match on the final blue and pink in the sixth.

Recent Haikou World Open champion Shaun Murphy is also through to the last 16 in Preston after knocking out world number one Neil Robertson 4-2. After sharing the first four frames, Gdynia Open champion Murphy went 3-2 up before hitting a 64 break to secure victory.

He has another tough match in the next round as he faces Judd Trump, who beat Chinese amateur Ju Reti 4-1. Reti became the first amateur player to win a ranking event when he won the second Asian Tour event earlier this season and he started well against Trump, winning the opener with a 75 break. However Trump swiftly rattled off breaks of 56, 76, 86 and 80 to secure the win.

Gerard Greene caused another upset on the opening day of the tournament at the Guild Hall, as he knocked out world number seven and Bluebell Wood Open champion Ricky Walden. The Kent potter, who reached the final of the Ruhr Open this season, hit top breaks of 61 and 50 on course to a 4-1 win.

Next up for Greene is Anthony Hamilton after he won a long and drawn out match against Sam Baird. The match went the distance with Hamilton making breaks of 87 and 69 before taking the decider with a 57 break.

Breaks of 65, 65 and 60 helped Rotterdam Open champion Mark Williams to a 4-1 win over Chinese teenager Lyu Haotian, who had reached the final of the third Asian Tour event this season. Williams will play Marco Fu on Thursday after he whitewashed Gary Wilson with top breaks of 102 and 70.

The first round continues on Wednesday from Preston, with the pick of the matches Ronnie O’Sullivan v Scott Donaldson in the afternoon and Stephen Maguire v Barry Hawkins in the evening.

Here's a full list of Wednesday's matches.