FORMER champion Shaun Murphy crashed out of the UK Championship in York after defeat to a Chinese unknown.

World number 12 Ryan Day was another shock loser to a first-year pro as the second day of first-round action at the Barbican threw up a few surprises.

Ninth seed Murphy, the 2008 champion and a two-time runner-up at the Barbican, led Chen Feilong 3-1.

But the Chinaman rattled in breaks of 54, 88 and 54 in winning five frames in a row to progress.

“I didn’t see that coming. He played so well and deserved it,” Murphy told the BBC. “All was looking well at 3-1, but before I knew it I was staring defeat in the face.

“He potted some outrageous shots and I could do absolutely nothing about it. After the interval he was a different player; he played like a champion.”

Welshman Day, meanwhile, lost 6-2 in a scrappy match with Leicester’s Joe O’Connor.

Amid the action tonight, three-time winner John Higgins takes on the unpredictable Thai talent Dechawat Poomjaeng and Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen plays Egypt’s Basem Eltahhan.

Tomorrow morning, local ace Ashley Hugill takes on Iranian Hossein Vafaei (9.30am), while champion Ronnie O’Sullivan makes his bow in the afternoon (2.30pm) and Mark Selby and Mark Williams take to the tables in the evening (7.30pm).