World number 78 Alfie Burden scored a stunning 5-4 win over Chinese legend Ding Junhui to progress on day one of the inaugural Xi'an Grand Prix.
Former World Seniors finalist Burden is seeking a strong campaign to put himself in contention for a top 64 place. With this being the second season of his current spell as a professional, his tour survival is on the line.
Burden was leading 4-3, when a superb break of 110 helped Ding to force a decider. However, it was the Englishman who took the last on the colours to secure a momentous win. He now faces Ding's Chinese compatriot Xu Si.
"It is a massive honour to play and beat Ding in China. The crowd were amazing and very fair to me, despite the fact they obviously wanted Ding to win. This is the best venue I've ever played at in China. I feel great about my game and ready to compete with anyone."
Alfie Burden
World number 78
Recently crowned Shanghai Masters champion Judd Trump continued his red hot start to the season with a 5-0 whitewash win against Ma Hailong.
The Ace in the Pack sensationally ended Ronnie O'Sullivan's eight year undefeated streak in Shanghai last month in the semi-finals, before securing an 11-5 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the title match. He needed just one hour and 19 minutes to wrap up this evening's win.
The 2019 World Champion is determined to cash in on his strong form and is aiming for a return to the summit of the sport. His next opponent this week is Lyu Haotian.
Trump said: "I think my aim this year is to win as much as possible and get back to number one in the world. When I was really dominating, being world number one added a little bit extra and really helped the mindset."
Thailand's Sunny Akani was a shock 5-4 winner over Scotland's four-time World Champion John Higgins. Akani is returning to the professional circuit this season, having earned his tour card through Asia/Oceania Q School. He fired in breaks of 59, 96, 60, 51 and 88 during an impressive victory this evening. Next up for Akani is a meeting with Jimmy Robertson.
Mark Williams earned his progression thanks to a 5-2 win over Mark Davis, while Matthew Selt beat Joe O'Connor 5-4 in a marathon battle.