World Snooker Championship 2023 results: Mark Williams beats Jimmy Robertson & Mark Allen sees off Fan Zhengyi

Mark Williams has won 24 ranking titles

Three-time champion Mark Williams produced a classy display to beat Jimmy Robertson 10-5 in the first round of the World Championship.

Trailing 5-4 overnight, the 48-year-old Welshman compiled four half centuries as he reeled off six frames in a row to seal his victory.

Mark Allen won 10-5 against China's Fan Zhengyi despite an incredible disruption due to protestors.

Allen will play Stuart Bingham and Williams will face Luca Brecel next.

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Allen, 37, and Crucible new boy Fan, were given a standing ovation on their return to the arena after a 40-minute delay, when two protesters entered the playing area part way through the first frame of their concluding session, with Northern Irishman 6-3 up.

UK champion Allen responded by turning a break of 24 into a 126 clearance but then lost a couple of scrappy frames as his 22-year-old opponent threatened to fightback.

Allen, though won the 13th frame on the pink after his opponent missed a cut into the right corner and then made breaks of 101 and 67 to confirm his place in the second round against the 2015 world champion.

Despite a dismal recent record at the Crucible - where he has reached only one quarter-final in 11 years - Allen has repeatedly spoken of his desire to complete the Triple Crown after winning the Masters in 2018 and the UK Championship last year.

And, while it was far from a straightforward encounter with Fan, in the end he laid the platform for his win in the first session by taking a 5-0 lead.

Williams makes his experience count

Williams will begin his best-of-25 contest against Belgium's Brecel at 10:00 BST on Friday with a good omen on his side, having also beaten Robertson 10-5 in their previous meeting at the Crucible in the opening round in 2018.

Williams went on to win the last of his three titles that year and there have been few signs in the intervening years that his performance levels have dipped - underlined by his narrow 10-8 loss to to Judd Trump in the final of the Masters in January.

It was a tough afternoon for the 36-year-old Englishman, who is yet to win a match at the Crucible in five attempts, with Williams' enduring quality coming to the fore as he made breaks of 51, 69, 64 and 84.

"I was a bit unfortunate to be 5-4 down but I have been here many times to know it was still anyone's game. I came out today and played well and made some good breaks," Williams told BBC Sport.

"I'm a danger to anyone and I can be a thorn in anyone's side. If you'd have said that after 30 years as a pro I'd still be in the top 10, I'd have said, 'no chance' but I am still here fighting and I can still give anyone a good game on my day.

"I am tough to beat and have moulded into a more rounded player than I used to be."

Higgins makes strong start

Meanwhile, four-time world title winner John Higgins dominated the opening of his match to establish a 7-2 lead over English qualifier David Grace.

The pair last met at an exhibition in Yorkshire last month with 37-year-old Grace, a former UK Championship semi-finalist, acting as master of ceremonies as the Scot knocked in a maximum 147 break.

And Grace, who was guilty of missing several good opportunities, was again forced to spend significant time watching on as Higgins crafted breaks of 51, 98 and 66 to go 3-0 up.

Grace took the final frame before the interval but further breaks of 67 and 90 helped Higgins, 47, stretch his advantage to 6-1.

And Higgins, who like Williams turned professional in 1992, took the final frame of the session after Grace had briefly reduced his arrears.

Analysis - Williams has 'still got it'

Shaun Murphy, 2005 world champion, on BBC Two

Mark found another gear and completely shut Jimmy out. It was the performance of an experienced, established former champion. He is a master of downplaying his quality. He has still got it.

He has got so much in the tank. He has got all the shots and all the ringcraft.

Ken Doherty,1997 world champion:

It was a total masterclass of match-play snooker from Mark Williams. He can win frames with a barrage of breaks when he is playing well but he can also win the other side of the game. There is no better scrapper than Mark Williams.

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