Both players miss excellent chances to wrap up the seventh frame and eventually it is Fan Zhengyi who takes it.

Mark Allen plays a safety on the last red, which just keeps running and running and running - straight over the middle pocket.

That red is all Fan needs.

Two frames left in this session.

Image source, PA Media

It's also all square on the other side of the curtain.

Mark Allen went ahead with a 59 break, then Fan Zhengyi looked like fighting back - but an attempt at the black rattled in the jaws and jumped off the table.

Allen returned to get past the winning line in frame six and it's 3-3.

So it will be a best-of-five to determine who reaches the second round.

Mark Williams will be frustrated. Wu Yize broke down on 49 but the Welshman could not capitalise and missed a fairly routine pink to the left corner to allow his young opponent to finish off the frame.

That is one heck of a 62 break from Mark Allen to bring the score back to 3-2 in favour of Fan Zhengyi.

Allen was 37 points down and the balls were left very awkwardly on the table, but after potting a superb long red, he clears up to the brown to leave Fan needing snookers.

Fan has a go but not for long and the frame is conceded.

Image source, PA Media

Mark Williams makes a break of 69 but then completely miscues while taking on a long red to the top right corner.

Wu Yize needs snookers and can't get them.

There is not a lot in this match at all.

Mark Allen will feel much happier about life going into the mid-session interval, having compiled a break of 105 to get his first frame on the scoreboard at this year's World Championship.

Break-building of the highest quality in those first four frames - two centuries, a 98 and a 61.

All square again. Mark Williams just cannot shake Wu Yize off.

Again, Mark Allen is in first but, on 38, finds the near jaw with a red to the middle.

And again, Fan Zhengyi makes the most of the opportunity with a well-crafted century.

Fan has made breaks of 60 or more in each of the first three frames and if you keep doing that, you're going to be very hard to beat.

Image source, PA Media

Wu Yize misses a relatively simple pot on the pink to the left middle and is heavily punished by Mark Williams.

The Welshman lives up to his nickname with a wonderfully crafted century break.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Allen misses a routine brown in frame two and is punished.

Fan Zhengyi knocks in a 98 break and it's 2-0.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Wu practices for an hour or 90 minutes at a time just with his left hand. You can see the advantages that gives you.

He is a wonderful long potter and he is prodigious talent.

Wu Yize wins an awkward opening frame thanks to a flurry of excellent mid and long-range pots.

The 21-year-old is certainly not afraid to go for his shots.

China's Fan Zhengyi, the world number 46, makes a confident start with a break of 61 to put himself in control of the opening frame against Mark Allen.

After a brief safety exchange, the 24-year-old floats in a long red to seal the first frame.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Allen says he is taking inspiration from compatriot Rory McIlroy's dramatic Masters win as he targets a first World Snooker Championship success.

Allen is a previous winner of both the Masters and the UK Championship, the two other tournaments which make up the Triple Crown, but the biggest prize in the sport has so far eluded him.

The 39-year-old is aiming to follow the example of McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors by winning at Augusta last weekend.

"There are so many comparisons. That was Rory's [16th] Masters, this is my 19th Crucible. One tournament away from completing the Triple Crown for me, the Grand Slam for him," said Allen.

"I watched every single shot on Sunday [of the Masters final round], I was glued to it, the ups, the downs, the drama. He's won it, he's lost it, he's won it again, he's lost it. To win it in a play-off, you can see what it meant to him.

"I'll try to take as much inspiration from him as I can. If it's not this year, I'll be back next year for more. I'll just keep working hard and hopefully that door will open for me like it did for Rory."

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Allen began this season as the world number one after a hugely consistent couple of years, but the left-hander from Northern Ireland is now ranked eighth.

He has never made it past the semi-final stage of the World Championship - which is the one event he needs to win to complete snooker's "Triple Crown".

Image source, PA Media

Three-time champion Mark Williams nudged in front of Chinese qualifier Wu Yize at the end of their first session on Saturday.

Wu was in incredible form during a four-frame burst which put him 4-3 in front, but the 50-year-old from Wales took the last two frames to edge ahead.

Their first-round match will be played to a finish this afternoon.

10:00

• Jak Jones (16) 2-7 Zhao Xintong - resumes at 10:00 on Monday
• Xiao Guodong (14) 10-4 Matthew Selt

14:30

• Mark Allen (8) v Fan Zhengyi
• Mark Williams (6) 5-4 Wu Yize*

19:00

• Neil Robertson (9) 2-7 Chris Wakelin*
• Barry Hawkins (11) 5-4 Hossein Vafaei*

*match to be played to a finish

BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

Sunday's first session has now concluded - BBC Two coverage will resume on this page from 13:00 BST.

Live text updates will return shortly before the resumption of play at 14:30.

Jak Jones knocks in a 70 break to win the final frame of the first session, but it is advantage Zhao Xintong in this first-round match.

He will need three more frames for victory when this contest resumes at 10:00 BST on Monday.

Five frames in a row now for Zhao Xintong, who makes breaks of 61 and 54 in the eighth to move 7-1 in front.

Defending champion Kyren Wilson was knocked out of the tournament on Saturday and, unless something incredible happens in the second session on Monday, we will lose last year's runner-up Jak Jones early on from this event as well.