The winning streak for the seed players at the UK Championship ends late on day two in York

Australian Robertson is aiming for a fourth UK crown - which would make him the fourth most decorated winner in the tournament's history - and he began his latest title tilt with a 6-2 victory over Belgian youngster Julien Leclercq.

Large spells of the match were protracted, although the world number three fashioned a break of 105 in frame four to go 3-1 up into the mid-session interval.

Leclercq - the lowest ranked player in the main draw at number 81 in the world - reduced the deficit on resumption, and got in early in frame six as he tried to level the tie, but Robertson took it before depositing the next two (frame eight, 64 break) to advance in the £1.2 million Triple Crown event.

Snooker’s second-most prestigious ranking event has been feast or famine for Robertson down the years. Since 2013, he has won the title three times, but on all the other occasions he has failed to reach a quarter-final. Sunday was his first match victory at the Barbican Centre venue since 2019.

In mid-August Robertson won the Saudi Arabia Masters and was runner-up at the last event on the World Snooker Tour, the Riyadh Season Championship - also held in Saudi.

Over on the other table during the afternoon session, International Championship winner and new top 16 member Wu finally got the job done to dismiss Michael Holt, 6-4.

Wu's first appearance since his maiden ranking triumph on home soil in Nanjing earlier in the month, the 22-year-old from China made breaks of 55, 78, 82 and 81 (a maximum attempt that broke down on the 11th black) as he established a 5-0 lead.

However, seemingly coasting to a comprehensive victory, errors crept into Wu's game and Holt - a quarter-finalist here last year - got on the board and built momentum as runs of 59, 82 and 60 helped him to reduce the gap to just one at 5-4.

Holt was unable to force a deciding frame, though, as a relieved Wu managed to cross the line in frame ten and arrange a meeting with Robertson in a few days’ time.

In the evening session, two-time UK Champion Williams defeated David Gilbert, 6-4.

Professional snooker’s oldest-ever ranking event winner following his heroics at the Xi’an Grand Prix in October, Williams went on a mid-match burst where he won four consecutive frames along with efforts of 51, 89 and 73.

Former Championship League Ranking Event winner Gilbert - who made a 102 in frame three - produced breaks of 100 and 50 from 5-2 down to get within one of his opponent, but the Welshman avoided the bother of a deciding frame.

Williams was the seventh seed from as many matches to progress in the main draw, but that winning streak for the top 16 came to an end late on Sunday evening as Pang Junxu eliminated Chinese compatriot Xiao Guodong, 6-2.

World number 30 Pang went 3-0 up (frame two, 66 break) before reigning Wuhan Open champion and number 12 seed Xiao got a foothold in style by crafting breaks of 101 and 104 in successive frames either side of the mid-session interval.

Former ranking event finalist Pang, though, strung together the next three frames, including a fantastic long pink in the final frame before slotting home the black along the top cushion to set up a date with Williams.

To view the full draw, results, match schedule, and other information from the 2025 UK Championship, visit here.