When Shaun Murphy won the world title in 2005, it looked like being the first of many.

But the 35-year-old admits he is “frightened” when he now walks out at the Crucible Theatre after numerous heartbreaks since.

His latest defeat will not have helped. Murphy led unseeded Welshman Jamie Jones 5-2 and 8-5 but still succumbed to a final-frame 10-9 defeat and with it an early Betfred World Snooker Championship exit.

If bad memories are holding Murphy back then Jones will loom large in his nightmares – the 30-year-old having beat him at this stage six years ago.

“I am just pleased I won this tournament early on when I did not know what I was doing. I had no battle scars then and did not really understand fear,” Murphy said.

“I am a bit older now and a bit more frightened. It is not easy.”

Murphy may not have been one of the heavy favourites in the build-up to this tournament but with world number one Mark Selby crashing out on day one, the top half of the draw had opened up.

Resuming 5-4 up, Murphy took control and moved 8-5 clear thanks to back-to-back centuries before the mid-session interval.

However, Jones battled back. He made a superb ton to level at 9-9 and took advantage of a nervous Murphy error to clinch a famous win.

“I think it is my best win. I have never faced pressure like that. I have played plenty of deciders but from frame one the pressure in this match was huge,” said Jones – who goes on to face Kyren Wilson.

“I got to the quarter-finals here six years ago but I have gone missing since. I have had the odd couple of results but I think I have not aced like a professional snooker player.

“I have got into the club for a couple of hours and then taken the rest of the day off, but this season I have treated it like a job.

“I have not had any results but maybe it is coming right now.”

Elsewhere, Mark Allen hit out at World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn after he beat Liam Highfield 10-5.

Hearn issued a statement last week saying football shirts were no longer welcome in a bid to clean up the sport’s image.

Yet Masters champion Allen shook the hand of famous fan Brian Wright - known for wearing a Coventry top every year since 1989 before he was forced to change on Saturday.

Allen, who has clashed with Hearn in the past, followed Ronnie O'Sullivan in questioning his decision – saying it risks driving fans away.

“Look, the world has gone nuts if you can’t wear a football top and come in,” the Masters champion said.

“I saw Barry’s reason was for the image of the sport. For me, would you rather a big crowd with everyone wearing a football top or go to China, like we do, and play in front of three people and a dog?

“It is a ridiculous statement to make and I am sure he could have come up with a better reason than that. I put a tweet up with me in a football shirt so I feel like I am one up on Barry.”

Allen looks like he is here to stay in Sheffield after he marched into the second round where he will face Joe Perry.

“We will go out there and just play the game, play our shots and try and score.

“I think that is the way the match will be, it will be open with lots of breaks – may the best man win.”

Watch the snooker World Championship LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.