Former world and UK champion Shaun Murphy also moved into the last 16, thanks to a 6-5 win over Zhao Xintong.

Zhao, who won this tournament in 2021, was playing his first major tournament match after serving a 20-month ban.

He was one of 10 players banned in the corruption scandal, but after a suspension of one year and eight months, has returned and qualified for the UK Championship.

Zhao did not directly throw a match but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced after his early admissions and guilty plea. He accepted charges of being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.

Murphy took the opening frame on the black as he moved into a 3-0 lead, aided by breaks of 98 and 76, only for Zhao to win two frames also on the black as he made it 3-3, but Murphy fought to claim the win.

“Anyone that has watched me for any part of my career will know it’s not straightforward – I should’ve had it dead and buried,” said Murphy.

“He is a wonderful, beautiful player to watch so I’m absolutely over the moon to get through. Bar Neil Robertson, he was the one everyone wanted to avoid. To get him in the last 32 was as tough a draw as I could’ve got.

“I’ve done a bit of soul-searching. I’ve not won one of the big three for 10 years and I’ve been searching what it could be – maybe I’ve just gone a bit nice, a bit soft. Being nice gets you nowhere.

“It’s a pit, it’s gladiatorial. I’ve maybe gone out there [in the past] with one arm tied behind my back.”

Murphy will play three-time UK champion Ding Junhui after he edged past England’s Robert Milkins 6-5 in a late finish on Saturday.

Ding, the eighth seed, led 3-2 but Milkins won three frames in a row, one with a break of 130, to move one away from the win.

However, China’s Ding reeled off three successive frames, making a break of 135 in the 10th frame on his way to victory.

In the other match in the evening session, unseeded David Gilbert beat China’s 16th seed Xiao Guodong 6-4 to set up a last-16 tie with Hawkins.