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Elsewhere on the opening night, 2023 world champion Michael Smith beat Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0.
Ashton, who had the majority of the crowd on her side, won two of the first three legs but Englishman Smith, 35, then put together a run of seven successive legs on his way to securing a spot in the last 64.
“That first set was nerve-wracking,” Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live. “As soon as I walked out, the crowd was on me straight away.
“I expected it but I thought if I go 1-0 down, it was going to get worse and worse.
“I tried to force things that weren’t there, but when I took that first set, it was happy days. I started to settle in then and nearly threw it away in the last set, but we’ll take the win.”
German debutant Arno Merk is through to round two courtesy of a 3-1 win against Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts.
A total of 128 players are competing in the World Championship, up from 96 last year, for an increased first prize of £1m.
The first round is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 19 December, with the final taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026.
BBC News
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