Less than half of the record-breaking 11-strong Chinese contingent at the World Snooker Championship main draw have survived the opening round, and two of those left standing are poised for a blockbuster clash in front of a whopping global audience on Friday.

The second-round match-up between reigning champion Zhao Xintong and trailblazer Ding Junhui is set to be a clash of the generations, one that could draw the biggest television audience in snooker history.

The best-of-25-frames contest will head into Saturday afternoon local time in Sheffield at the very least, with a potential third session on Sunday morning.

“It’s just one of those matches where we both want to play at an extremely high level,” Ding, China’s first ranking event winner, said. “He’s eager to defend his title. We will see how it goes.

“It’s going to be an incredible match against Zhao Xintong. He plays exceptionally well and has won his three ranking events recently. He’s confident and consistent; everyone loves watching him play, and so do I.”

Zhao, the country’s first world champion, admitted that he did not want to face his idol.