Elsewhere on opening night, 2023 world champion Michael Smith beat Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0.
Ashton, who had the majority of the crowd on his side, won two of the first three matches, but Englishman Smith, 35, made a run of seven consecutive matches on his way to securing a place in the last 64.
“That first set was stressful,” Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live. “As soon as I came out, the crowd pounced on me.
“I expected it, but I thought that if I lost 1-0, things were going to get worse and worse.
“I tried to force things that weren’t there, but when I took the first set, they were happy days. I started to get used to it and I almost blew it in the last set, but we’ll take the win.”
German debutant Arno Merk advanced to the second round thanks to a 3-1 victory against Belgian Kim Huybrechts.
A total of 128 players are competing in the World Championship, up from 96 last year, for an increased first prize of £1 million.
The first round is scheduled to conclude on Friday, December 19, and the final on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
