'Underdog' Murphy relishes battle with Ding

Murphy, who lived in Rotherham when he was crowned world champion in 2005, will come up against Ding, who has adopted Sheffield as home.

The Chinese star lives in the Steel City during the season and trains at the World Snooker Academy at the English Institute of Sport.

World No 3 Murphy believes UK champion Ding is the best player in the world at the moment – he also reached the final of the Grand Prix and China Open – and feels he will be the Crucible Theatre underdog on Sunday.

"I think my game against Ding Junhui is the tie of the round," said Murphy, who yesterday held off a spirited fightback from Gerard Greene to win his first-round match 10-7. "Ding is the best player in the world at the moment, his results prove that.

"He has been prominent in all the major events this term and will go into our match as the favourite, I'm sure. But that doesn't trouble me because I've beaten favourites before.

"I'm sure it will be a fantastic match, no matter who wins. He is playing great and will have millions of people supporting him back home in China. I used to live here so I'll probably have 200,000 people on my side."

Murphy was leading 8-1 overnight and was expected to finish the job quickly yesterday, needing just two more frames for victory.

But Greene – who has never got beyond the first round at the Crucible stretching back to 1999 – had not read the script and scrambled back, winning six of the first seven frames. The 36-year-old knocked in breaks of 67, 65, 55 and 92 to set-up a nailbiting climax.

It finally took a cool head from 27-year-old Murphy in frame 17 and a break of 87 and finally he limped over the finish line.

"At no time did I feel that I was going to lose the match, the gremlins in my head were not that bad," he said.

Murphy, who was crowned UK champion last year, has struggled to reach the business end of ranking tournaments this season, going out at the first hurdle of the Grand Prix, Welsh Open and China Open.

"I think this is the best prepared I've ever been for the World Championship," said last season's Crucible runner-up.

"I've not had the greatest of seasons results-wise but I don't think I've reaped the rewards of the effort I've put in, and I am due."

The resilience of Greene was never more evident than in the 14th frame. Murphy looked in complete control, his opponent needing a snooker with just the pink and black left.

But the Northern Ireland player tucked the white ball behind the black and forced a succession of snookers which turned the tables and snatched frame-victory from the jaws of defeat.

Six-time champion Steve Davis rolled back the years to lead last year's winner John Higgins 5-2 after the opening exchanges of their second-round match.

The highlight was a 102 break in the seventh frame by the 52-year-old, appearing at the Crucible for the 30th time.

World No 2 Stephen Maguire beat Stephen Lee 10-4 to set-up a second-round tie with Graeme Dott.