The 17-year-old will face much stiffer competition in second-seed Damon Heta in the second round.
The Antrim cueman faces John Higgins in a high-profile second-round clash at the Crucible.
Title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt and long-time rivals Esperance of Tunisia will meet in the two-leg CAF Champions League final during May. It will be the third time Ahly and Esperance face each other in the final of the Champions League with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians succeeding in 2018.