YORK snooker star Ashley Hugill has been knocked out of the World Snooker Championships at the first round of qualifying.
Hugill was beaten 6-4 by Chinese teenager Wu Yize at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport in one of the longest-running matches of the day.
16-year-old Yize made a strong start to the contest by claiming the game’s first two frames, hitting a 60 break during the latter.
The pair then traded frames as Hugill won the third 77-0, which included a 54 break, while Yize won the fourth 85-36, which included a game-high 79 break.
Hugill rallied though to level the match at 3-3, registering his game-high break of 58 in the latter of those frames.
But, a fourth half-century break from Yize (59) saw him take the next frame and go in front once more. He also won the eighth frame 57-6 to move within one of victory.
In a scrappy end to proceedings, Hugill took the match to a tenth frame by winning the ninth 68-37 but he was unable to prevent Yize prevailing as he closed out with a 72-45 win in what would prove to be the final frame.
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