The first round was played between 16 and 22 April with best-of-19 frame matches held over two . Steve Davis was the bookmakers favourite to win the event, priced at 11/8 the day before the tournament began. Terry Griffiths was the second-favourite at 7/1, with Reardon and defending champion Higgins at 8/1. Davis had won four individual tournaments during the season leading up to the competition, whilst Reardon had claimed three titles, and Higgins' only notable success had been in the 1983 Irish Professional Championship. Higgins led Dean Reynolds, who had taken him to a deciding frame in the second round of the 1982 UK Championship, 5–1 and finished their first session 6–3 ahead. He then increased this to 8–3, and won the match 10–4. Willie Thorne took a 6–3 lead over Virgo and won the first four frames of their second session to complete a 10–3 victory.