Jack Lisowski produced a strong signal of intent on the opening day of the UK Championship by storming through to the second round.

The Gloucestershire-born cueman, who is rising up the world rankings sharply after an array of impressive performances throughout the season, became the first player to reach the second round of this year’s tournament after thrashing Zhang Jiankang 6-1.

World number 17 Lisowski wrapped up the victory in less than two hours and at one stage led 4-0 before his opponent stopped the possibility of a whitewash win. 

Despite impressive performances over the past year or so, Lisowski, 27, is still searching for his first major ranking title. 

So far he has lost one final – the Riga Masters – and two major ranking semi-finals. But he certainly showed signs that the UK Championship could be his break-through title as he played quality snooker throughout making breaks of 120, 115 and four breaks of 50 or more.

He next awaits the winner of Fergal O’Brien and Mei Xi Wen in the next round.

Meanwhile, former UK champions Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson sealed their place in the last 64 after comfortable wins against Adam Stefanow and Kishan Hirani respectively.

China’s number one Ding will be pleased to get a solid win under his belt after crashing out of the UK Championship in the first round twelve months ago.

Elsewhere. former world champion Ken Doherty cruised through to the second round with a 6-2 win over Yuan Sijun. 

And today proved a day to forget for last season’s Snooker Shoot Out winner Michael Georgiou who crashed to a 6-0 defeat to China’s Luo Honghao – who was playing his first match ever in the UK Championship.

China’s Zhou Yuelong won six frames on the bounce in a 6-1 win over Soheil Vahedi and Tian Pengfei fought out a 6-4 win against fellow countryman Lyu Haotian.

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