Ding Junhui must come from behind on Monday against Stuart Bingham after the Basildon potter took a 9-7 overnight lead against the Chinese player, who won the Masters at Wembley in January.
The Sheffield-based Chinese cueman fell 3-0 behind before pulling back to 3-2 with breaks of 67 and 74.
Bingham pulled away again though, taking two of the next three frames to obtain a 5-3 lead to take into the second session. It became seriously worrying for the large contingent of Chinese at the Crucible when Bingham stretched away at 8-4, however runs of 93 and 75 cut that lead to two frames.
Bingham, best known for beating Stephen Hendry in the first round in 2000, nudged three clear before Ding made 91 in the closing frame to stay in the hunt.
