STUART BINGHAM became the third former or current world snooker champion to go out in the first round of this year’s championship as he was beaten 10 frames to seven by qualifier Jack Lisowski on Tuesday.

Another former world champion, Australia’s Neil Robertson, is also in trouble, the 2010 winner trailing English journeyman Robert Milkins 6-3 ahead of the concluding session later yesterday.

Milkins, 42, could be on course to repeat what is probably the finest performance of his career as he beat Robertson at a similar stage in the 2013 edition.

Bingham joins defending champion Mark Selby and 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy as big names to have failed to get over the first hurdle.

The trio’s departures will boost the chances of the likes of quintuple champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and Chinese star Ding Junhui, who are both safely into the second round.

Lisowski never faltered after taking only a one-frame lead, 5-4, into the final session in what is only his second appearance at The Crucible Theater.

The 26-year-old Englishman displayed the kind of form that saw him reach the semifinals of The Shanghai Masters last year.

Bingham kept snapping at Lisowski’s heels but the latter went from 7-6 up to win two frames in succession and although his opponent made it 9-7, the world number 30 kept his nerve to seal his place in the second round. (SD-Agencies)