YORK snooker star Ashley Hugill is looking to ride the wave of a confidence-boosting win over Kyren Wilson when he heads into the UK Championship tonight.

Hugill defeated Wilson 3-2 at the British Open in August, edging past the former World Championship finalist - who himself was in fine form, scoring two centuries in the match.

World number 81 Hugill will now look to build on the the upset victory when he faces veteran Mark Davis at the York Barbican in the first round of the UK Championship on Tuesday evening (7.30pm).

“That was a really good win,” Hugill told The Press when reflecting on the triumph over Wilson in the summer.

“It was my first win on Table One, barring the Shoot Out.

“It was nice to get that duck off my back and it gave me that extra confidence that I can beat the top players on the main table.

“Kyren played really well in that match and I still managed to get the job done. It wasn’t like I caught him on a off-day.

“That was a really good boost to my confidence.”

The 27-year-old added that beating one of the world’s best players aided his game mentally too.

Hugill said: “You can always let those doubts creep into your mind.

"But when you’ve got results like that to look back on, you can tell yourself, ‘You know you’re good enough, you can beat anyone and you can play on the main table.’

“They are big things to overcome.”

The challenge now for Hugill is to replicate that form against Davis.

A professional since 1991, the 49-year-old is a former semi-finalist at the UK Championship.He currently holds the world number 48 ranking.

“Obviously he’s a very experienced player. I think he’s been on the Tour for longer than I’ve been alive,” Hugill laughed.

“He’s definitely got plenty of experience, he’s a good player, and I’m looking forward to playing him for the first time.

“It’s always interesting when you play someone that you’ve never played before.”

Hugill will feature at the York Barbican for the first time since 2018, with a drop in form and the coronavirus pandemic delaying his action in his home city.

“I’m really excited to play at the Barbican again," Hugill added.

"It’ll be nice to go back for the first time in what feels like a while.

“It’s always good to get a bit of home support.

"My family don’t often get the chance to watch me play, with me playing all over the country.

“But when it’s in York, my family and friends are always there.

"That’s a nice little incentive for me.

“Plus the Triple Crown events are ones that everyone knows and they’re big events. It’s got an extra buzz about it.

“It’s nice to be playing in my home event near Christmas time. It’s always a nice atmosphere at York at that time of the year.

“I’m really excited to play there.”