TOP tier snooker has a steep learning curve - one that Ashley Hugill now knows only all too well.

The Melbourne potter experienced what it's like to play at the very highest level, a first round match in the UK Championship against the world number four in a big tournament arena, and will realise what he must do if he is to emulate his idol.

Hugill had a close up view of a clinical performance. Shaun Murphy, a hero the 21-year-old revealed beforehand he had modelled his play on, gave him both barrels.

In a 6-1 victory, the reigning Masters champion and former world and UK title holder produced seven breaks over 50 and was utterly ruthless when handed any kind of opportunity.

For the most part, Hugill could only sit, watch and admire.

To his credit, though, he played aggressively throughout the match when given the chance - unafraid of going for his shots and continuing to take the positive option despite Murphy's excellence when in the balls.

His opponent had a point to prove as well.

Having been humbled by 15-year-old Yan Bingtao at the Champion of Champions tournament in Coventry, there was no way he was going to fall again to an up-and-coming prospect.

If Hugill hadn't realised the size of the task in front of him, he was made fully aware after only his first shot. Short with the white ball and leaving a red into the middle pocket, Murphy methodically mopped up around the table when compiling a classy 102.

Hugill started first in the next with a red, but missed a black off the spot into the bottom left corner. Murphy looked good again, but broke down on 41, and, after Hugill laid an exceptional snooker behind the green, the local lad had his first extended table time.

He missed a red to the right middle, though, and Murphy needed no further invitation - a break of 69 doubling his advantage.

It was a similar theme throughout the first mini-session as the Magician showed Hugill no mercy.

He still went into the interval ruing the fact he did not have a frame on the board. Hampered by a couple of clear kicks, but bolstered by some courageous potting, Hugill carefully built up a 53 point lead and looked on the verge of giving his vocal supporters some notable cheer.

Frame ball was a difficult red into the left corner. Forced into taking the rest, Hugill struck it well but could only despair as it wobbled in the jaws and stayed out.

Even so, Murphy's 58 clearance was brilliant - capped by a superb positional shot from brown to a blue close to the side cushion.

Trailing 4-0, Hugill continued to try and make the running but found no luck when splitting the pack on 30 before again spending an extended spell watching Murphy produce a potting masterclass.

A break of 92 collected another frame before Hugill had a moment to shine.

Murphy suffered a rare failure in the balls and, as he had been made to throughout the match, Hugill made him pay as he put together a composed 62 to make a dent on the scoreboard.

It was a worthy, and deserved, consolation. But that was all it proved.

Murphy played the white across the table and off a cushion to pot a red hanging over a middle pocket in the following frame and, from there, the match had little prospect of continuing any further.

He closed it out with a break of 70 to move on to a second round clash with Zhou Yeulong. Hugill will be cheering him on.