China's Ding upset by Perry in snooker Masters

Ding Junhui(L) of China reacts during the 2015 Snooker Masters first round match against Joe Perry of England at Alexandra Palace in London, Great Britain, on Jan.14, 2015. Ding lost 3-6 and was unqualified for the second round. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

China's Ding Junhui suffered his fourth successive first-round defeat at the snooker Masters as he was upset by 14th seed Joe Perry 6-3 on Wednesday.

Perry made his debut in the tournament in 2003 and lost his opening match in his first six appearances. But he finally got past that hurdle with a fine display against world number two Ding.

Ding, who won a record-equalling five ranking tournaments last season, was in poor form this term and made too many unforced errors in the day's fight.

Perry took the opening frame with a break of 79 before Ding, the 2011 Masters champion, levelled with a run of 80. Perry went all the way ahead then, leading 2-1, 4-2 and 4-3 before finishing off the match by 6-3.

"Maybe the only reason is that Alexandra Palace doesn't like me," said Ding jokingly. "It wants an English player to win."

"It doesn't matter. I am looking forward to the next tournament," he added.

Perry was excited with the win.

"I'm so pleased to win," he said. "I've always been one of the bottom eight seeds in the tournament so I've got to pull off a shock to win. But I've managed to do that now.

"It was a good match. There were a couple of tense frames - I stole one then he stole one. I didn't miss too many balls and we both played a lot of good safety. I was pleased to finish it off with a century."

Earlier, Mark Allen beat former world champion John Higgins 6-4 to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Higgins scored 668 points in total but Allen emerged as the winner.

"John has done most of the scoring," Allen, whose highest break of the match was 121, told BBC television.

"I have a good record against him recently and I just needed to hang in there. I stayed positive and did that." (Updated)