Masters snooker: Defending champion Stuart Bingham through to round two

All looked to be going to plan for Bingham as he powered into a 5-1 lead, before Thepchaiyah rattled off a hat-trick of frames to ensure a nervy climax at the Marshall Arena.

The first of those came only after Bingham had broken down when on course for another maximum break, and there was a sense that the tide really had turned as the Thai went on to record breaks of 80 and 113 to close within one.

Bingham though stood tall and a 67 break in the 10th frame was enough to secure a meeting with either Shaun Murphy or Mark Williams in round two and ensure a positive start to the new year.

It was indeed a much more assured display from the former world champion, who also registered breaks of 114 and 95 to earn a last-16 spot - which means one more win would represent his deepest run of the season.