Liang Wenbo demonstrated that teenage star Ding Junhui is not China's only exciting snooker prospect by racing into the second round of the Welsh Open.

Liang, winner of the World Under-21 Championship in Bahrain last year, brushed aside former Crucible finalist Nigel Bond 5-0.

Runs of 64, 49 and 73 twice enabled the fast potting left-hander to humble veteran campaigner Bond, who in contrast to his fluent opponent managed a top break of only 16 in being outscored 348-69.

Liang, who had never previously qualified for the final stages of a ranking event, now looks set to retain his place on snooker's 96-man tour next season.

"That result was so important because it means I've kept my card. That's why I'm so happy with how I played," said Liang, who has drawn inspiration from the success of 18-year-old compatriot Ding, winner of the UK Championship in December.

"I'd like to follow in Ding's footsteps. He's shown all of us Chinese players what's possible."

The 250/1 pre-tournament outsider advances to play Scotland's Graeme Dott, runner-up to Ronnie O'Sullivan at the 2004 World Championship.

While Liang safeguarded his main tour playing rights for the 2006/07 season, the relegation of Northern Ireland's Patrick Wallace was confirmed.

Wallace, whose career highlight was a run to the quarter-finals of the 2001 World Championship, lost 5-3 to Plymouth's Andy Hicks after building a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval.

Hicks compiled breaks of 70, 75, 46 and 55 in setting up a round-two meeting with world champion Shaun Murphy.

O'Sullivan will launch his bid for a third straight Welsh title against Preston's Ian McCulloch, who beat friend and regular practice partner Dave Harold 5-3 after a three-hour marathon.

McCulloch, the world number 16, moved 4-1 ahead and having been pegged back to 4-3 held his nerve with a run of 96.

Harold had the consolation of setting an early target for the event's ?2,000 highest break award with his 141 total clearances in the sixth frame. Northern Ireland's Joe Swail recovered from a poor start to squeeze past Mark King 5-4 in a contest that turned on one glaring error.

King led 3-0 and looked certain to steal the fourth frame until he inexcusably jawed a simple slowly rolled black along the top cushion when poised to clear the colors.

After that momentum shifted, King began to toil and Swail, twice a Welsh Open semi-finalist, rallied to set up a second round clash with Peter Ebdon.

Sussex pro Mark Davis will tackle Matthew Stevens in the last 32 after beating David Gray 5-2 while Anthony Hamilton, a 5-3 conqueror of Fergal O'Brien, plays Paul Hunter.

(Sportinglife.com via CRI February 28, 2006)