World champion Wu Yize set up an intriguing second-round tie against former Crucible winner Kyren Wilson at the British Open after both won their opening matches.
China’s Wu beat compatriot Liu Hongyu 4-3 in Cheltenham, while 2024 world champion Wilson was a 4-1 winner against Austria’s Florian Nuessle.
Last year’s British Open champion Shaun Murphy was joined by Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, Judd Trump and John Higgins in progressing to the second round.
However, three-time world champion Mark Williams lost 4-0 to David Gilbert, world number two Neil Robertson fell 4-1 to Pang Junxu, and 2023 world champion Luca Brecel fell 4-3 to Chris Wakelin.
Mark Joyce, who replaced Ronnie O’Sullivan after the seven-time world champion withdrew because of medical reasons, beat Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski 4-1.
New world number one Zhao Xintong, the first Chinese player to become world champion in 2025, will play his opening-round match against England’s Oliver Brown on Tuesday.
Zhao reached the final of the Wuhan Open last week, securing the top ranking spot in the process, only to lose 10-7 to countryman Chang Bingyu in the title match.
The British Open uses a random draw for each round, with no seeds, meaning high-profile names can face each other early in the tournament.
