SHEFFIELD (England), April 25: Hong Kong cueist Marco Fu completed a wonderful 24 hours for Asian snooker on Wednesday as he became the third player from the continent to reach the second round of the World Championships.

Fu, 35 and a semi-finalist at the championships in 2006, maintained his overnight supremacy over veteran Welshman Matthew Stevens and made the second round with a 10-7 win.

Fu joins China’s Ding Junhui, who beat two-time semi-finalist but now a fading force Alan McManus 10-5 while Thai rookie Dechawat Poomjaeng produced a display of unpredictable entertainment to beat McManus’s compatriot, sixth seed Scot Stephen Maguire, 10-9.

Australia’s 2010 world champion Neil Robertson, though, is involved in a tight battle with Englishman Robert Milkins and has just a 5-4 frame lead to take into Thursday’s final session.

However, the Australian did fire in the biggest break of the championships so far, 143, to better former finalist Judd Trump’s Tuesday effort of 142.

Trump, who lost to John Higgins in the 2011 final, had little trouble progressing with a 10-5 win over Dominic Dale and will meet Fu in the second round.

Results:

First round (best of 19 frames): Marco Fu (Hong Kong) bt Matthew Stevens (Wales) 10-7; Judd Trump (England) bt Dominic Dale (Wales) 10-5; Ding Junhui (China) beat Alan McManus (Scotland) 10-5; Ali Carter (England) bt Ben Woollaston (England) 10-4; Dechawat Poomjaeng (Thailand) bt Stephen Maguire (Scotland) 10-9.—AFP