Marco Fu of China's Hong Kong kept the flag flying for Asian snooker as he ground out a 4-3 lead in a dour struggle against Alan McManus in the first round of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre on Tuesday.

In what was a return to 'old-fashioned' snooker, compared with the aggressive rapid scoring which is so much a feature of the present-day game, Fu took 75 minutes to open up a 2-0 lead over his experienced opponent.

But the 35-year-old Scot pulled a frame back in the third before Fu went 3-1 ahead with a break of 68.

McManus responded with a run of 71 before the pair shared the next two frames of a session that was halted two frames early because of slow play.

Fu, 28, is the only player from Asia left in the tournament follow Thai trailblazer James Wattana's first round defeat against reigning world champion Shaun Murphy.

Chinese teenage sensation Ding Jun Hui, the current UK Championship title-holder, failed to make it through to the last 32 after losing in final qualifying to Barry Hawkins, himself thrashed 10-1 in the first round by former world champion Ken Doherty.

In other matches on Tuesday, Ronnie O'Sullivan - who has not won since losing the Masters final to John Higgins in January - raced into a 7-0 lead against Dave Harold.

The former Crucible king compiled two hundreds including a 139, the highest of the tournament so far, to fully live up to his 'Rocket' nickname.

Meanwhile snooker's authorities, already reeling from pre-tournament criticism that they'd mismanaged the game's professional calendar, came under renewed attack from Joe Swail who described the table at the Crucible as "an absolute" joke after his 10-5 first round defeat against last year's losing finalist Matthew Stevens.

"There's only one thing that sums up the match and that's the table," said 36-year-old Swail, a two-time World Championship semi-finalist.

"I've been a professional for 15 years and it's about time they got it sorted out. There was a 'kick' every other shot and balls were rolling off into the middle pocket," the Northern Irishman added.

"The standard out there is high enough without having to worry about things like that and it's very frustrating.

"I'm absolutely disgusted with the table. When you're on a break and trying to win a frame the last thing you want to worry about is getting a 'kick'. It's an absolute joke.

"People have looked at it but they can't find the answer and it's getting worse. It's very difficult to take in.

"I complained during the match and everyone knows I'm not usually one to complain. But we are playing for a living and it makes a fool of you sometimes."

However, Swail insisted he did not want to detract from his Welsh opponent's performance, which featured three century breaks.

I don't want to take anything away from Matthew," said the world number 39. "He was under a lot of pressure to keep his place in the top 16 and got the result he needed.'"

Stevens agreed with Swail, saying: "There were loads of 'kicks', every fifth or sixth shot it seemed, and it was frustrating.

"But it's the same for both players and there's nothing you can do apart from get on with it."

Earlier Mark Williams, 8-1 ahead overnight, wasted little time in beating Anthony Hamilton 10-1.

The Welshman, world champion in 2000 and 2003, said his victory was "an excellent start for me" and he now faces Mark Selby, conqueror of John Higgins, in the second round.

(AFP via CRI English April 19, 2006)