Ding Junhui aims to get his latest pursuit of a maiden world title off to a strong start by overcoming emerging star Zhou Yuelong in a mouth-watering all-Chinese clash at The Crucible on Monday.

Ding fell narrowly short of becoming Asia's first World Snooker Champion when he went down to Mark Selby in last year's final and will be determined to go one step further at this time of asking.

The world number four has enjoyed his best results on home soil in China this season, winning the Shanghai Masters and finishing runner-up in the International Championship, with his best displays in the UK coming in the Champion of Champions and Players Championship - where he reached the Last Four.

The 30-year-old has fallen at the first hurdle in Sheffield on three previous occasions and will be fully aware of the threat posed by his latest opponent - one of China's hottest new talents.

Zhou is one of five debutants in this year's show-piece, having earned his place in the main event courtesy of wins over Christopher Keogan (10–5), Ian Preece (10–8) and Ben Woollaston (10–9) in the qualifying rounds at Ponds Forge last week.

The 19-year-old has been widely tipped for a big future at the top level of the sport and will be hoping to make a name for himself in his first visit to the home of snooker.

World ranked 37, Yuelong reached the Quarter-Finals of February's Welsh Open - his best performance in a major ranking tournament to date.

He has failed to trouble Ding in their two previous meetings, suffering a 5-0 whitewash in the recent China Open, while going down 6-1 in the 2012 International Championship at the tender age of 15.

Their latest show-down gets underway from 10am BST on Monday for a total of nine frames, resuming to a finish from 7pm.

Either English Open champion Liang Wenbo or Grimsby's Stuart Carrington will await the winner in the Last 16.

Monday April 17

Round One

10am

8) Ding Junhui v Zhou Yuelong         

9*) Stuart Bingham v Peter Ebdon    

2.30pm

5*) Shaun Murphy v Yan Bingtao      

12) John Higgins v Martin Gould       

7pm

4*) Marco Fu v Luca Brecel  

11*) Mark Allen v Jimmy Robertson