CHINA’S Ding Junhui survived a first-round scare to beat Brazilian outsider Igor Figueiredo 6-5 in a thrilling U.K. Championship match at the York Barbican in York on Tuesday.

    World number 127 Figueiredo was struggling at 4-1 down, but then took four frames to leave Ding clinging on.

    Ding, ranked fifth in the world, rallied to take the 10th frame and won a tense decider with a break of 74.

    The two-time U.K. Championship winner said: “I missed some easy shots.”

    The 29-year-old, runner-up at this year’s World Championship, added: “He played well and made a few 50 breaks. But at 5-4 down I told myself to carry on and I knew that pressure would come so I was confident in the last two frames.”

    Meanwhile, world number 13 Kyren Wilson was a surprise first-round loser against Mitchell Mann.

    There were also 6-2 wins for 2011 champion Judd Trump — over Thailand’s James Wattana — and Marco Fu, who saw off Ireland’s Josh Boileau 6-2.

    But the ever-popular Jimmy White was on the wrong end of the same scoreline against Wales’ Ryan Day.

    White, the winner of 10 ranking events including the 1992 U.K. Championship, drew level at 2-2 but could not maintain his form after the interval.

    Scotland’s Anthony McGill, the 18th seed, fought back from 3-0 and 5-4 down and finished with a century break to beat Englishman Craig Steadman 6-5.

    (SD-Agencies)