Shanghai Masters: John Higgins, Mark Selby and Mark Allen among winners on opening day
Our 9/1 pre-tournament outright tip John Higgins made a strong start at the Shanghai Masters as he defeated Alexander Ursenbacher 5-2.
The Scot made an impressive 131 break which put him 4-1 ahead of the promising Swiss cueman, before he sealed victory with a run of 73 and he is now into 7/1 with Sky Bet to lift the trophy.
World number one Mark Selby (4/1 favourite) got back to winning ways after last week's defeat to Luca Brecel at the Champion of Champions in Coventry by beating Ian Burns 5-2.
Selby, a winner in China just two weeks ago at the International Championship, did struggle early on and trailed 2-1 but breaks of 68, 120 and 132 got him home.
Welshman Michael White (66/1) claimed a first ever career win over Mark Davis at the 10th attempt, edging home 5-4 thanks to breaks of 76, 66 and a superb 140 - the highest of the day.
Our 25/1 each-way tip Mark Allen once more got the better of Chinese teenager Yan Bingtao as he powered to a 5-1 success.
PRICE BOOST: Ronnie O'Sullivan to win the Shanghai Masters is 5/1 from 4/1 with Sky Bet!
Less than two weeks after beating the 17-year-old 9-2 in the semi-finals of the International Championship, the Ulsterman again proved too strong with a top break of 102 and he is looking forward to doing well in China once more.
"It was a bit of a scrappy game, but I felt like I dominated," Allen told worldsnooker.com. "My safety was good and I limited him to small chances.
"I have done well in China this season despite not sleeping well - maybe that’s the secret."
Home favourite Liang Wenbo (40/1) had a top run of 125 as he saw off the stubborn Rod Lawler 5-2, while Jack Lisowski's (33/1) good recent run of form continued as breaks of 113, 117, 86, 86 and 82 saw him to a 5-1 win over Chris Totten.
MONDAY'S RESULTS
- Billy Joe Castle 5-2 Zhang Jiangkang (Match 1)
- Li Zhen 3-5 Chen Feilong (Match 2)
- Soheil Vahedi 5-2 Ma Chunmao (Match 3)
- Tom Ford 4-5 Jimmy Robertson (Match 12)
- Lee Walker 4-5 Kurt Maflin (Match 13)
- Ryan Day 4-5 Yu De Lu (Match 14)
- Yan Bingtao 1-5 Mark Allen (Match 16)
- Jack Lisowski 5-1 Chris Totten (Match 18)
- John Higgins 5-2 Alexander Ursenbacher (Match 7)
- Liang Wenbo 5-2 Rod Lawler (Match 8)
- Fergal O'Brien 5-4 Mitchell Mann (Match 15)
- Mark King 2-5 Jamie Jones (Match 22)
- Michael Georgiou 3-5 Ben Woollaston (Match 25)
- Zhou Yuelong 5-4 Sanderson Lam (Match 28)
- David Gilbert 5-0 Mark Joyce (Match 30)
- Wang Yuchen 1-5 Mark Williams (Match 39)
- Mei Xi Wen bt Ding Junhui W/O (Match 4)
- Billy Joe Castle 4-5 Rory McLeod (Match 5)
- Chen Feilong 3-5 Stuart Carrington (Match 6)
- Soheil Vahedi 5-4 Sam Baird (Match 9)
- Mark Selby 5-2 Ian Burns (Match 10)
- Graeme Dott 5-3 Xiao Guodong (Match 20)
- Robert Milkins 5-4 Lyu Haotian (Match 33)
- Michael White 5-4 Mark Davis (Match 36)
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 14
Morning Session (0100 GMT)
First Round (best of 9 frames)
- Alfie Burden v Judd Trump (Match 26)
- Barry Hawkins v Daniel Wells (Match 35)
Afternoon Session (0630 GMT)
First Round (best of 9 frames)
TV Coverage: Eurosport 1
- Cao Yupeng v Michael Holt (Match 17)
- Yuan SiJun v Robbie Williams (Match 19)
- John Higgins v Ian Preece (Match 27)
- Liang Wenbo v John J Astley (Match 29)
- Akani Songsermsawad bt Stuart Bingham W/O (Match 32)
- Joe Perry v Matthew Selt (Match 38)
- Dominic Dale v Alan McManus (Match 41)
- Chris Wakelin v Mark Selby (Match 42)
Evening Session (1130 GMT)
First Round (best of 9 frames)
TV Coverage: Eurosport 1
- Mei Xi Wen v Adam Duffy (Match 11)
- Luca Brecel v Matthew Stevens (Match 21)
- Rory McLeod v Stephen Maguire (Match 23)
- Stuart Carrington v Ali Carter (Match 24)
- Li Yuan v Martin Gould (Match 31)
- Hossein Vafaei v Marco Fu (Match 34)
- Soheil Vahedi v Gerard Greene (Match 40)