Crucible fans take centre stage as Selby leads exodus

The 37-year-old Welshman appeared chastened by the crowd’s reaction as he walked into the arena for his first-round match at the Betfred.com World Championship.

Williams, world champion in 2000 and 2003, condemned the Sheffield theatre as a “s*** hole” in a Twitter tirade on the eve of the tournament – for which he is certain to be fined – and said he hoped the tournament would move to China.

His comments were described as “absolute lunacy” by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, and at least a quarter of the audience announced their disgust when Williams strode out.

Referee Olivier Marteel had to hush the crowd to allow MC Rob Walker to introduce Williams’s compatriot Dominic Dale, who was taking on Judd Trump on the other table.

Williams went on to open up a 6-3 lead over Sheffield-based Chuang, the match concluding tonight, while Trump shrugged off the effects of food poisoning to scrape through 10-7.

The Crucible crowd were also central to the story of Chinese potter Ding Junhui’s defeat at the hands of Ryan Day, another Welshman.

Ding accused fans of disrupting his concentration by calling out at key points, although it appeared the player, who reached last year’s semi-finals, only had himself to blame for letting a 9-6 lead slip to lose 10-9.

Ding said: “It was all rubbish. I don’t think I played well. I don’t think the table’s right. I don’t think the fans are right. All rubbish. Rubbish fans. I was concentrating on the game and they kept shouting out. How can they do that? People say that Chinese fans are no good. Okay but then I come here and what do they do?”

Former world No 6 Day took advantage of an unexpected chance in the final frame, when his opponent seemed certain to clear up.

Sheffield-based 25-year-old Ding missed a red with the rest after reaching 48. It was a battle of nerves and Ding’s had failed him.

Day, now 35th in the world, was quickly out of his seat and a superb break of 64 gave him the match.

It was a bad day for the top seeds as world No 9 Graeme Dott slumped to a 10-1 defeat against Joe Perry, while world No 1 Mark Selby – troubled by a neck injury which saw him pull out of last month’s China Open – last night crashed out 10-3 to Barry Hawkins.

Eight seeds have fallen in the first round – equalling the Crucible record – with still two more first-round matches to be completed today.

Selby’s exit means Trump will be the new world No 1 if he can win the world championship on May 7.