The former ranking event winner won’t feature at the venue stages.
Joe Perry crashed out of the English Open on Saturday following a 4-2 reverse against Soheil Vahedi at the Barnsley Metrodome.
The world number 21 is one of the highest seeded players taking part this week in what is effectively a qualifier for the main event, with the top 16 in the world rankings having their first matches held over to the Marshall Arena in November.
Perry would have begun the English Open contest as a big favourite, but Iran’s Vahedi, who is now competing as an amateur having been relegated from the professional circuit, compiled four half-century breaks to book his place in the last 64 instead.
Reigning Welsh Open winner Jordan Brown suffered a similar fate to Perry, with the Northern Irishman succumbing to a 4-2 loss against Ashley Carty.
However, recent British Open runner-up Gary Wilson had no such worries, wrapping up his 4-2 success against Craig Steadman with a tidy break of 101.
It was even better still for Ben Woollaston, who won all four frames in a one-sided whitewash of Welsh young talent Jackson Page.
That 4-0 scoreline was matched earlier in the day by Cao Yupeng, who continued his fine return to the Main Tour with a 4-0 thrashing of Mitchell Mann.
Cao was one of three Chinese competitors to progress to Milton Keynes in just over a month’s time, with Xu Si and Chang Bingyu also making it through with respective wins against Jamie Jones and Dominic Dale.
Amateur top-up Bai Langning, a late replacement for compatriot Zhang Jiankang, couldn’t make it four from four, though, as the teenager bowed out in a 4-2 defeat to Jak Jones.
On Sunday, the action continues in the English Open with former English Open champion Liang Wenbo, former world champion Graeme Dott, and three-time ranking event winner Ricky Walden among those entering the fray.
Live coverage is available on the Eurosport Player and Matchroom.Live.
Click here to view the draw (Times: CET)
Featured photo credit: WST
