Liang Downs Off-form Doherty

The Chinese snooker revolution gathered momentum in Sheffield last night when Liang Wenbo, a recent world Under-21 champion, joined Ding Junhui in the last 16 of the world championship. Liang eliminated a desperately out of touch Ken Doherty 10-5, thus bringing the 1997 champion's 15-year tenancy in the elite top 16 to an end.

"He didn't look as if he had any nerves and he's an outrageous potter," said Doherty. "It'll be tough in the qualifyings but I'm not afraid of them. It would be scary if this was my last Crucible."

There is an an outside chance that Liu Chuang will join his compatriots. The 17-year-old qualifier resumes only 5-4 down to Ronnie O'Sullivan after losing the first three frames, but it is difficult to imagine the twice world champion playing so poorly this afternoon.

Joe Perry overcame his notorious inability to convert winning positions into victory to beat the 2006 winner, Graeme Dott, 10-7 after a contest of high quality. Perry started to falter at 9-6 but, although he lost the 16th frame and almost the 17th, he held his nerve to go through to the second round.

Perry failed to capitalize on four match-winning chances at 9-6 and a similar number in the next frame before a long pink finally saw him through to the last 16. "The tension kept getting bigger and bigger. You try to stay positive but it's only human nature to have that little bit of doubt so I'm relieved to get over the line," he said.

Another former champion, the 2005 winner Shaun Murphy, eased into the second round with a 10-3 victory over Stoke's Dave Harold. Resuming at 7-2, Murphy lost the opening frame of yesterday's session but then won the next three with breaks of 107, 72 and 73. He next plays Ali Carter.