Ding wins thriller

The all-Chinese encounter in the first round of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship did not disappoint its record-breaking audience after Ding Junhui came through a thrilling contest to beat Liang Wenbo.

Ding, the world number 11, will meet seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry in round two after defeating his compatriot Liang 10-8 in front an enthralled crowd at the Crucible in Sheffield and hundreds of millions more watching on television on the other side of the world.