World champion Williams in shock loss to Chinese teenager

WORLD champion Mark Williams fell to a shock 4-3 first round defeat to 18-year old Yuan Sijun.

Williams led 1-0 and 3-2, but Sijun fought back brilliantly, helped by two centuries.

All four matches on Monday afternoon sent to a deciding frame, as Chere were also victories for Ali Carter, Xiao Guodong and Mark Davis.

Williams took the lead a tough first frame, but breaks of 73 and 100 saw Sijun take a deserved 2-1 lead.

Williams hit back immediately with a flawless 138, before the match seemed to swing his way in the fifth frame.

Sijun went 63-0 up with just 59 left on the table, but Williams found the snooker he needed and cleared the table to win on a re-spotted black.

But Sijun won the final two frames to progress to the second round, where he will play Stephen Maguire, a 4-1 winner over Mark King.

Carter came from behind three times to beat Martin O’donnell.

The Captain made breaks of 73 and 78 before hitting a 63 in the deciding frame.

Neil Robertson became the third world champion to go out early as he suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat to China’s Xiao Guodong.

The Aussie was 3-1 up and in control thanks to breaks of 80 and 62, but the world number 25won three frames in succession to secure his progress.

Mark Davis also came from behind to edge out Jimmy Robertson 4-3.

Davis had trailed 2-0 and 3-2 but produced his only break of over 50 in the final frame, where he battled to a break of 61 to clinch a spot in the next round.

Davis will play Guodong in the next round and Davis said: “He’s a very good player, all the Chinese kids are good but he’s one of the best.”

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