CWM'S Mark Williams is the only Welshman left in the Regal Welsh at Cardiff International Arena after his two countrymen - Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale - fell by the wayside in the first round.

Williams is set to face a massive test of his new-found game tomorrow in former world number one and champion John Higgins should he get past Cambridgeshire's Joe Perry in today's second round.

The Gwent man, who won his 42nd first round world ranking match yesterday - that continues to increase his record which has now lasted four years - has to overcome Cambridgeshire's Joe Perry, who has climbed into the elite top 16 in the world.

However, he faces a classic match with the Wizard of Wishaw in the quarter-finals after disposing of Surrey's David Gray 5-2 in his first round tie.

Former world champion Williams will have his sidekick there ready to help him through the tournament, however.

Ex-Crucible king Terry Griffiths watched every ball the Cwm ace potted against Gray yesterday, and Williams reckons their dynamic duo can see him to a hat-trick of Regal Welsh victories.

Williams said: "I've just got to try and keep it going with a bit of help from the old man (Griffiths). I was struggling to win tournaments and, although I was getting through to semis and finals, I was blowing it.

"Now I'm feeling much better. Terry has helped me so much and I really believe I'm getting my game back together because of it.

"There is still a lot of work to be done between us but we are getting there. You could not ask for more than one of the game's best coaches to help you."

But there were times yesterday when Williams had doubts whether he would be the subject of a humiliating defeat despite going 4-0 up in the best-of-nine frames match against Gray.

Penarth-based Dale said he will be concentrating on the Embassy World Championship qualifiers now after going out 5-2 to seven-times world king Stephen Hendry.

And Carmarthen's Stevens, the world number nine, suffered the curse of the kicks as those snooker glitches gave Malta's quick-fire Tony Drago the chances to take him out 5-1.

Defending champion Paul Hunter is through to meet unknown qualifier Leo Fernandez, who beat Mark King 5-2 in the first round.