Fu, who turned 25 on Monday, had his qualifier held over until Blackpool due to his participation in the Asian Games.

The world No 27 from Hong Kong was hoping to build on a promising performance in last month’s PowerHouse UK Championship at York, where he won two matches before going out 9-7 to world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan.

However, he knew nothing would come easy against the gritty Wilkinson and so it proved as it took him four hours and 27 minutes to complete victory. Fu led 2-0 and 3-2 but was pegged back on each occasion, Wilkinson making it 3-3 with a break of 70.

The seventh frame proved the turning point. Fu won it by potting pink and black, then wrapped things up with a 69 clearance his highest break of the match.

Fu’s opponent in the last 32 at the Cardiff International Arena on Jan 22 will be world No 14 Quinten Hann. He beat the Australian 9-7 in the UK Championship but is not reading too much into that result.

Meanwhile Ryan Day whitewashed Matthew Selt 5-0 in double-quick time at Blackpool to book his place in the second qualifying round of the Regal Scottish.

Bridgend’s Day lost 5-4 to Romford’s Selt in the European Open last Tuesday but took just 62 minutes to cruise to victory this time, knocking in breaks of 55 and 56. In the second round., Day will take on Scotland’s Hugh Abernethy who beat Jason Ferguson 5-3 with a top run of 60.

Best fight-back of the day came from Australia’s Johl Younger who came from 4-1 down to beat Bristol’s Andrew Norman 5-4, knocking in a 119 (the highest break of the day) along the way. The Aussie will now play Antony Bolsover, who beat teenager Jimmy Robertson 5-3.

Thailand’s Phaithoon Phonbun recorded his third win out of three with a 5-3 victory in a far-east battle against China’s Pang Weiguo.