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China's Ding Junhui took just sixty-three minutes to demolish Tony Drago 5-0 and set up a dream match against Jimmy White in round two of the British Open at the Brighton Centre.

Drago looked out of sorts from the start and he was severely punished by the seventeen year old every time he missed.

A 49 clearance gave Junhui the opener. He needed a few chances in the next, but Drago obliged and it was 2-0. Two runs of 44 made it 3-0 and an imperious 84 gave Junhui a 4-0 interval lead. Just six minutes later it was all over, as Junhui whistled in a run of 73.

On the day when Australia announced the passing of their elder statesmen of the game, Eddie Charlton, there were mixed fortunes for two of Australia's young breed of players.

Up and coming Neil Robertson started in great style against Stephen Maguire, punching in a run of 100 in the opening frame. and the young Aussie set out in the next with a run of 51, but a break of 41 and a colours clearance gave Maguire the frame.

A run of 63 gave Robertson the next, but Maguire sneaked the fourth with blue and pink to draw level. And having done so he dominated the latter part of the match, breaks of 46, 91 and 36 were enough to see him over the line and into round two, where he will face Matthew Stevens.

Fellow Aussie Quinten Hann quickly found himself on the back foot against Ryan Day. The Welshman smashed in breaks of 96 and 58, while Hann scored only 2 points. But he found his range in the third, stroking in a run of 70 to negate Day's 38 point lead. Day stretched his lead to 3-1 at the interval thanks to a late run of 41.

But after the break the match turned on its head. Hann closed the gap with a run of 42, and won a twenty-eight minute frame to draw level. He then pieced together breaks of 45, 62 and 51 to win the next two frames to book his round two place, where he'll line up against Ken Doherty.

And that wasn't the only match where the tide of fortune swung round. Ian McCulloch breezed into a 2-0 lead against Shaun Murphy. McCulloch, brimming with confidence after his performance in the Grand Prix looked like he couldn't miss, while Murphy appeared to have forgotten where the pockets were.

But it all changed in frame three. Murphy at last got his hand on the table, making an inconclusive 37, but everything McCulloch did turned to disaster and Murphy had his name on the board. And it was a similar pattern in frame four. Murphy made the telling break of 59 to feel much the happier of the two players at the interval.

The twenty-two year old ran in 32 and 64 to take the lead for the first time and he pounced again in frame four. McCulloch looked to have the frame in the bag with a run of 58, but Murphy got a snooker, and McCulloch was unlucky to go in-off the escape and Murphy produced a 33 clearance to the black for 4-2.

Breaks of 40 and 44 completed Murphy's run to the line.

Joe Jogia produced an even more astounding come back. He trailed Joe Swail 4-1, but somehow clawed his way through the next four frames, to win 5-4, with only a high break of 33 in the entire match.

Joe Perry was the next seed to perish. He led Barry Hawkins 2-0, opening with a superb 133 break. But Hawkins responded with 60, 104, 76 and 52 to clinch a 5-4 win.

Dominic Dale crashed to a 5-0 drubbing by Andy Hicks. Breaks of 47, 34, 33, 75 and 52 saw Hicks safely into the next round to play Marco Fu.

Ali Carter gave Bjorn Haneveer an equally harsh beating. The Tiptree player looked in sweet form as he stroked in runs of 72, 73, 36, 91 and 64, although admittedly he wasn't put under any sort of pressure by the out of form Belgian.

Anthony Hamilton rattled up breaks of 56, 70, 50, 60 and 57 to beat Mike Dunn 5-1. Dunn contributed a run of 66 to win frame three but lost frame six on the pink despite making 55.

Many people tipped Mark Selby to beat Mark King. But King wasn't having any of it. He opened a 2-0 lead and despite being pegged back at 2-2, he made breaks of 65, 62 and 55 to run out a 5-2 winner.

John Parrott produced some vintage form to beat Scotland's Jamie Burnett 5-3. He won the first with a 42 clearance after Burnett had opened up with 51. Burnett won the next two helped by 50 in the third, but Parrott pulled back with a 52 run for 2-2.

The former World Champion sneaked the fifth on the black, and added the next as well. But he somehow lost the seventh, despite making 61. But he saved the best for last, compiling a run of 101, century number 211 of his career.

RESOURCES

2004 BRITISH OPEN

INFORMATION

RESULTS - LAST 48

Perry 4-5 Hawkins

141(133)-0, 88(44)-1, 5-92(60), 42-61, 0-104(104), 106(72)-0, 7-76(76), 68-5, 24-72(52)

Holt 5-2 Harold

86-15, 1-73, 68-33, 59-71, 65-64, 63-31, 67-0

Stephen Maguire 5-3 Neil Robertson

0-110(100), 61(41)-52(51), 15-74(63), 62-50, 111(58,46)-24, 91(91)-39(39), 37-64, 69(36)-9

Allister Carter 5-0 Bjorn Haneveer

73(72)-1, 95(73)-0, 58(36c)-49(48), 92(91)-4, 69(64)-24

Tony Drago 0-5 Ding Junhui

43-89(49), 18-87, 4-89(44,44), 2-110(84), 6-87(73)

Mark King 5-2 Mark Selby

66(37)-27, 72(52)-57(430, 34-67(47), 42-73(38), 66(650-3, 62(62)-61, 72(55)-0

Quinten Hann 5-3 Ryan Day

0-110(96), 2-62(58), 74(70)-30, 37-65(41), 63(42)-44(36), 82-59(44), 112(45,62)-0, 75(51)-6

Joe Swail 4-5 Joe Jogia

103(51)-5, 78-4, 76(58)-56, 73(440-28, 48-69, 58-67, 44-55, 40-57, 39-62

Anthony Hamilton 5-1 Mike Dunn

90(56)-18, 70(70)-0, 50(50)-76(66), 56-15, 101(60)-23, 73(57)-55(55)

Dominic Dale 0-5 Andy Hicks

20-70(47), 25-68(34,33), 35-50, 0-75(75), 38(38)-82(52)

Ian McCulloch 2-5 Shaun Murphy

73(53)-1, 125(104)-8, 22-60, 26-71(59), 1-96(64), 64(58)-65, 4-84(40,44)

John Parrott 5-2 Jamie Burnett

61(42)-51(51), 44-69, 47-62(50), 59(52)-21, 68-60(40), 64-6, 61(61)-72, 112(101)-0