Yorkshire duo Hugill and Lam suffer early exits at UK Championship

Playing in front of a home crowd, the York amateur was no match for the 2008 UK champion as he made one century and six further half-century breaks in a 6-1 first-round triumph.

Before the match, Hugill said Murphy was one of the players he admired growing up and he believes there is plenty he can take from the experience of facing him.

“It was a lesson in how to win frames in one visit playing Shaun. I’ve learned that you have to be clinical at this level,” said Hugill.

“That’s the best anyone has played against me. I’ve played Stuart [Bingham] and John [Higgins] but neither of them played to their best level.

“Top players take their chances if you don’t take yours and that’s what Shaun did to me.

“I enjoyed playing in the main arena and it was great to have that home support. It’s given me a taste and I’d love to play in front of big crowds again.”

Hugill wasn’t the only Yorkshire potter to suffer a first-round exit at the Barbican Centre on Wednesday afternoon as Leeds’s Sanderson Lam also lost 6-1 to veteran Scot Jamie Burnett.

After making five previous half-century breaks, Burnett sealed the win with a knock of 111 in frame seven and 21-year-old Lam was especially disappointed after reaching the second round of the International Championship last month.

“I struggled all game really. Every time he got in he was scoring heavily and every time he missed he didn’t give me a chance to get my arm going so it was really tough out there,” said the world No 88.

“You’ve got to try and stay in the game and keep positive and keep concentrating but it is what it is and you’ve got to get on with it.

“I prepared really well for this competition and my run at the International Championship gave me a lot of confidence but today I didn’t really turn up.

“I’m just going to keep it going one match at a time, one competition at a time and whatever happens I’ve done my best and that’s all I can do.”

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