World Snooker Championship
Date: 18 April-4 May Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Coverage: Live coverage each day on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 Live. Full TV schedule

Ebdon won the World Snooker Championship in 2002

Former world champion Peter Ebdon suffered a first-round defeat to 1995 finalist Nigel Bond at the Crucible.

Ebdon, the world number nine, was beaten 10-5 by his fellow Englishman.

China's Ding Junhui beat compatriot Liang Wenbo 10-8, while Joe Perry became the first seed to fall, going down 10-6 to qualifier Jamie Cope.

Australia's Neil Robertson leads Steve Davis 7-2 after the opening session of their match, while Shaun Murphy leads qualifier Andrew Higginson 5-4.

In the game between Ebdon and Bond , a tentative start from both players meant just one point was scored in the first 15 minutes of the first frame, which Bond eventually won.

Ebdon, the 2002 champion, hit back with a century break, but Bond, in his 15th Crucible appearance, hit breaks of 74 and 79 for a 3-1 lead.

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Ebdon then made 65 but Bond crucially won two of the last three frames to gain a 5-3 lead going into the evening session.

Ebdon, a three-time finalist, won the first two frames of the evening session to draw level, before Bond rattled off five frames in a row to set up a second-round match with either Ryan Day or Stephen Lee.

Ding , the world number 11, went into the last session with a 5-4 lead which was extended to 7-4 with runs of 58 and 72.

But qualifier Liang hit back to win the next four frames with Ding failing to pot a single ball for over an hour.

However, nerves started to get the better of Liang and Ding fired in 111, 91 and 63 to clinch the match.

Ding will now play seven-time champion Stephen Hendry in the next round.

World number 12Perry , who reached the semi-finals last year, took a 5-4 lead into the final session, but only managed to win one more frame against a confident Cope .

The Stoke player, who has reached the finals of the Grand Prix and China Open, made five breaks over 50. He will now play either John Higgins or Michael Holt in the next round.

"After five frames I felt a little bit unsettled but I just tried to forget about it and enjoy it," said Cope, after finding himself 4-1 down at one stage.

"I was just a little bit nervous but I was expecting that and it was nice to overcome it. I feel as if I'm in the tournament now."

Former world championMurphy was made to work hard byHigginson for his 5-4 lead.

The first two scrappy frames were shared before Murphy hit the only ton of the session to go 2-1 ahead.

Widnes' Higginson made a 60 break, but back came Murphy after the interval, taking the sixth and seventh.

However, a 56 was not enough for Murphy in the next, with Higginson levelling before Murphy won the last of the day.

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