Joe Perry will hope to break his China Open jinx next week.
The Chatteris potter, 42, has failed to make it past the first round of the Beijing-based tournament since the 2008/9 season, but will set out to improve his record on Monday against Iran’s first professional snooker player, Hossein Ayouri.
Perry triumphed over the 22-year-old when the duo last met in the Scottish Open in December and if he can succeed again, he will meet either Kurt Maflin or Ben Woollaston in the second round.
The China Open, which awards £85,000 to the winner, is the final tournament before the biggest event in the snooker calendar - the Betfred World Snooker Championships, which begin on April 15.
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