2024 Wuhan Open Snooker: Qualifying Day One Report

The majority of first round matches in this £700,000 World Snooker Tour competition will be played at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester over this three-day spell; the winners of these ties qualify for the main venue stages in China between October 6-12. Click here for the draw and results.

Three of professional snooker's most decorated title winners were on duty during a bumper evening session: John Higgins, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy.

Higgins registered respective runs of 67 and 79 in the final two frames of a 5-1 victory over Ben Mertens, while Murphy made four half-centuries in a 5-1 win against Michael Holt.

However, four-time world champion Mark Selby will play no further part in the tournament as he went out to Long Zehuang, 5-4.

A winner of seven ranking titles in China during his illustrious career, Selby appeared to comfortably be qualifying for the Far East as a 135 in the opening frame and a 130 in frame five helped put him on the hill at 4-1 up.

World number 69 Long, though, had other ideas as he constructed a brilliant comeback. Efforts of 50, 67 and 54 helped him force a deciding frame where he slotted home a plant at distance and subsequently made a decisive 67 break.

Snooker icon Jimmy White wins

One of snooker's all-time legends Jimmy White can think about travel plans for the autumn after defeating Dominic Dale, 5-3.

Ten-time ranking event winner White - who narrowly missed out on Xi'an Grand Prix qualification yesterday - won the final frame with a 77 break having been 50-0 behind.

Top 16 stars Barry Hawkins and Gary Wilson both advanced, although they didn’t have it easy. Hawkins scored a 103 in a 5-3 success versus Jiang Jun, while Wilson won his second consecutive match on the final black in a deciding frame as he ousted Alexander Ursenbacher, 5-4.

In a great position to win, Ursenbacher - who earlier crafted a 105 - miscued on the final brown in the decider.

There were surprise victories for three non-European cueists in Mostafa Dorgham (Egypt), Haris Tahir (Pakistan) and Ka Wai Cheung (Hong Kong).

African Championship winner Dorgham denied Ricky Walden 5-4; recent Asia-Oceania Q School graduate Tahir - playing his first match as a professional - produced a break of 108 and three other half-centuries in a 5-3 defeat of Jamie Jones (who made a 124).

World Snooker Federation Championship title winner Ka pipped Stephen Maguire, 5-4.

Fan Zhengyi (129), Xu Si (123, 132) and Aaron Hill (105) notched up three-figure efforts during their victories.

Sanderson Lam, He Guoqiang, Si Jiahui, Chris Wakelin, Anthony McGill, Robert Milkins, Jamie Clarke, Allan Taylor and Robbie Williams were Sunday’s other qualifiers.

Play continues on Monday with three sessions. The order of play is here.