CWM'S Mark Williams today had one foot in round two of the Embassy World Snooker Championships in Sheffield after blitzing Robert Milkins to open up a commanding 8-1 lead.

The double world champion was due to resume his first round match this afternoon needing just two frames from a potential ten to progress to a clash with either Graeme Dott, last year's runner up, or Ian McCulloch.

It marks a stunning turnaround for Williams, who told the Argus yesterday that he had little or no confidence going to The Crucible, but it still difficult to assess his form properly due to the disappointing display from MiIkins, who reached the semi-final of this season's Irish Masters before losing to world No 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Williams took the opening frame only to be pegged back by the lightning-quick Milkins, but that proved to be his only setback as the 2000 and 2003 champion blew his challenger away by picking up the next seven frames on the spin, which included breaks of 74, 64 and 62.

Meanwhile it is seven years since Scotland's John Higgins won his only Embassy World Championship - a time gap which surprises even the player himself.

Higgins is renowned for his consistent break-building and that asset was in evidence when he won his first-round match in Sheffield 10-5 against youngster Mark Selby, recording breaks of 138, 136 and 106.

The Scot was still not completely happy with his performance though and believed it exemplified his form of the last few years - and why he has failed to add to his solitary world crown.

"After I won the world title in 1998 I took it for granted that there would be more to come," said the world number five, third favourite for the tournament behind champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry.

"But it gets harder to do it every year with the quality of the talent coming through. I am still playing a decent standard of snooker though."

Also last night Ali Carter made it through and will face defending champion O'Sullivan in the second round after completing an emphatic 10-4 victory over 16th seed Marco Fu.

"I've been practising with Ronnie and we've had some good sessions," Carter said. "I've held my own against him but it will be a lot different at The Crucible. I can't wait to play him. He's the master and it's nice to compete against him. But it will be a tall order to beat him."

Results: Jimmy White (Eng) bt Fergal O'Brien (Irl) 10-5; John Higgins (Sco) bt Mark Selby (Eng) 10-5; Ali Carter (Eng) bt (16) Marco Fu (Hkg) 10-4