It was not only a convincing 10-4 win for the Arjuna Awardee but some useful breaks helped build his confidence for the challenge ahead.
Indian ace Pankaj Advani will play his match on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in a stunning upset, six-time World champion Steve Davis lost his tour card after a 10-8 defeat by Craig Steadman.
The main draw of the Dafabet World Snooker Championship will run from April 19 to May 5 at the Crucible Theatre here.
Ronnie O'Sullivan will be defending the title he won for a fifth time last year, with the likes World No.1 Neil Robertson, Chinese ace Ding Junhui, Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy among the other leading contenders for the prestigious crown.
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