That puts Uzzell in prime position to make it through to the last 64, following last year’s near miss. In the same group, Earl Strickland also has a two-for-two record, but his 2004 debut was not without some controversy.

Strickland’s much talked about ‘finger extensions’ that he used at last year’s championship have since been banned by the WPA, and the North Carolinian was not amused when referee Michaela Tabb informed him of this at the start of the match.

It was not enough to disturb ‘the Pearl’ though as he ran out an easy 5 -1 winner over Malaysia’s Patrick Ooi.

Other 100 per cent players include Johnny Archer is Group 5 and Francisco Bustamante and European Champion Thomas Engert in Group 7.

In Group 9, Scotland’s Pat Holtz caused a stir with the local fans as he entered the arena for his TV table match against Steve Davis wearing a kilt and sporran, the traditional Scottish dress.

The tournament rules state that all players must wear trousers, but proud Scotsman Pat was determined to enter the fray in national dress. He went o­n to lose 5 – 2. Leading Group 9 is classy Filipino qualifier Rodolfo Luat with two wins from two starts.

Two WPC veterans, Ernesto Dominguez and Akikumo Toshikawa head up Group 11 with two wins apiece and local hope Ying-chieh Chen has a similar record in Group 13.

In Group 15, lucky Luc Salvas (Canada) had Germany’s Sascha Trautmann to thank for his elevated position. Trautmann, who won through in a European qualifying event, was bounced off his KLM flight o­n Wednesday and o­nly arrived in Taipei at midday today (Saturday).

Despite rushing from the airport to the venue, he could not get to the table in time and Salvas was consequently awarded the match 5 – 0.

Play continues this evening with the other eight groups completing their schedules.

Day 1          

Hohmann bt Gallego   5 – 3 

Manalo bt Hall    5 – 1

Rolon bt Tschudi   5 – 4

Orozco bt Hall    5 – 3 

Manalo bt Rolon   5 – 3 

Hohmann bt Orozco   5 – 1

Weiselius bt Gallego   5 – 3

Day 1

Strickland bt Ooi    5 – 1

Uzell bt Paez    5 – 0

Okumura bt De Falco   5 – 2

Paez bt Reljic    5 – 2

Uzzell bt Okumura   5 – 0 

Strickland bt Reljic   5 – 3

Babica bt Ooi    5 – 1 

Day 1

Archer bt Al-Howri    5 – 2

Archer bt Ryu     5 – 0

Lining bt Logan   5 – 4

Govender bt Storm   5 – 1

Al-Howri bt Logan    5 – 4 

Storm bt Lining   5 – 3

Majid bt Ryu     5 – 1

Day 1

Bustamante bt Wilkinson 5 – 1

Alcaide bt Chang   5 - 2

Gabica v Lillis   5 – 0

Engert v Barcarcic  5 – 2

Bustamante bt Chang  5 – 0

Wilkinson bt Lillis  5 – 1 

Engert bt Gabica  5 – 3

Day 1

Luat bt S Davis     5 – 2

Souquet bt Yudharman   5 – 3

Foldes bt Tan      5 – 1

Luat v M Davis    5 – 3

S Davis bt P Holtz    5 – 2

Tan bt Souquet    5 – 2 

M Davis bt Yudharman   5 – 2

Day 1

Hsia bt Wieto    5 – 2 

Lely bt Klasovic   5 – 3

Toshikawa bt M Holtz   5 – 4

Dominguez bt  Hundal  5 – 4

Hundal bt Lely    5 – 4 

Toshikawa bt Hsia   5 – 0 

Dominguez bt Wieto   5 – 4                    

Day 1

Feijen bt McInnes   5 – 1

Hauge bt Yamamoto    5 - 4

Chen v Valle    5 – 3

Park v Carral    5 – 0

Valle bt McInnes   5 – 1

Yamamoto bt Feijen   5 – 2 

Chen bt Park    5 – 1                              

 Day 1

Jeong bt Reilly    5 - 2

Salvas bt Trautmann    5 - 0 (W/O)

Stepanov bt Takahashi  5 – 3

Wu bt Bergendorff   5 – 2

Wu bt Jeong    5 – 0 

Salvas bt Reilly   5 – 1

Takahashi bt Trautmann  5 – 1