\n<\/p>\n
Elsewhere on the opening night, 2023 world champion Michael Smith beat Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“I expected it but I thought if I go 1-0 down, it was going to get worse and worse.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
German debutant Arno Merk and Latvia’s Madars Razma also made it through to round two with 3-1 wins against Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts and Dutchman Jamai van den Herik respectively.<\/p>\n
A total of 128 players are competing in the World Championship, up from 96 last year, for an increased first prize of \u00a31m.<\/p>\n
The first round is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 19 December, with the final taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n