The Frenchman, second seeded for the tournament, began his first round match in impressive style by winning the opening two games 11-6, 12-10 against his rival.

Having pushed Gaultier close in the second game, Coll brought himself back into the match by claiming the third 11-6.

It would only be a brief respite for the Kiwi, with Gaultier securing the fourth game 11-8 to advance to the second round.

Top seed Mohamed El Shorbagy was untroubled in his opening match of the tournament, as he swept past Australia’s Rex Hedrick 11-5, 12-10, 11-9.

His brother Marwan also delighted the home crowd, with the 11th seeded Egyptian earning a 12-10, 11-6, 11-1 win over Germany’s Raphael Kandra.

World junior champion Eain Yow Ng was unable to continue his run at the Championship, with the 18-year-old coming up short against Egypt’s Mohamed Reda.

The Malaysian had earned surprise wins in both his qualification matches to reach the main draw for the first time, but ultimately fell to a 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 defeat.

In one of the surprise results of the day, 14^th seed Cameron Pilley of Australia was beaten 13-11, 2-11, 13-11, 11-6 by Egypt’s Karim Ali Fahti.

A spectacular all-English affair between James Willstrop and Jaymie Haycocks entertained the crowd, with little separating the two players.

Willstrop, a four-time Commonwealth Games medallist, would eventually claim an 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-4 victory.

Fellow Englishman Nick Matthew, a three-time winner of the tournament, also reached the second round after the fourth seed defeated New Zealand's Campbell Grayson 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 13-11.