Mark Selby got the better of a nervy tussle with Tony Drago in Round 1 yesterday to progress to the last 32 of the Northern Ireland Trophy, the first ranking tournament of the season.

The Leicester player, who won the World 8-Ball Pool Championship in Blackpool earlier in the summer, grabbed a tense 5-4 win over the veteran Maltese cueman.

But if Drago had not missed a routine pink ball in the seventh frame, which would have seen him edge 4-3 ahead if he had also potted the black, then it might have been a different story.

“Tony had chances but I felt I played well enough to win,” said the world No 28.

“I finished last season really strongly and then won the World Pool Championship, which gave me a lot of confidence coming into this season.”

Selby, who upset Scot John Higgins with a 10-4 win at last season’s 888.com World Snooker Championship, was never behind in the match and pocketed breaks of 46, 42, 74 and 64 to progress. Drago, who always maanged to catch up with his opponent, had runs of 67, 54 and 64, but his pink-ball miss ultimately cost him dear.

Meanwhile, the other opening first-round match of the morning session saw Scot Jamie Burnett earn himself a second-round showdown with world champion and fellow countryman Graeme Dott.

Burnett was a comfortable 5-2 victor over 2003 Scottish Open champion Gray, with breaks of 117 - in the first frame - and further scores of 77 and 55.

Gray had breaks of 75 and 60, but Burnett admitted his opponent “missed some balls he usually pots”.