| Venue: Barbican Centre, York Dates: Saturday, 25 November – Sunday, 3 December |
| BBC coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer, as well as the BBC Sport website and mobile app |
Two-time winner Mark Selby clinically dispatched Mark Joyce 6-0 as he reached the second round of the UK Championship in York.
The four-time world champion dominated throughout and rattled in breaks of 82, 61, 75 and 80 on his way to victory.
It was a ruthless performance from Selby who barely missed a ball and restricted Joyce to just 30 points across the final five frames.
Earlier on Monday, world number two Judd Trump thrashed Pang Junxu 6-1.
Trump, who is the form player of the season, signalled his intent with a wonderful break of 114 in the opening frame.
While a half century briefly helped China’s Pang draw level, the Englishman then went through the gears with runs of 124, 68 and 50 and will meet Jamie Jones next.
“I’m playing well. I feel like I’m a player that is either amazing or terrible and I feel if I can get through the first two rounds then nothing is stopping me. It is quite rare for me to lose in a semi or quarter-final,” Trump told BBC Sport, adding he had been struggling with illness.”
Jones fought back from 2-0 down against Jack Lisowski, compiling two centuries and two half centuries in a match that saw both players guilty of a series of uncharacteristic errors.
Flatmates face-off in last 16
Selby’s next opponent will be Barry Hawkins, whom he is sharing a flat with in York this week.
Hawkins, who beat Selby on his way to winning the European Masters in Germany in August came from 3-1 down to defeat fellow Englishman Ben Woollaston 6-4.
World number 51 Woollaston began with a century and initially had the edge, but a long missed red at 4-4 on a run of 51 allowing Hawkins to pinch the frame with a 70 and then round off his win with a break of 69.
However, he will have to make significant improvements for his match against Selby, who claimed the last of his two UK crowns in 2016 and made light work of his match against Joyce.
“It looks easy on paper but I felt like it was easier for me because I played well and didn’t do much wrong,” said Selby. “The only thing missing was a century and other than that I can’t complain.
“It’s a tough tournament and I’ve put more pressure on myself than anyone because it’s a triple crown event and you want to do well. I’ve got the expectation because I’ve been here and won, and it would be nice to be there again.”
Trump also in confident mood
Trump’s assuredness extends from arriving at the Barbican having already won the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open this term to take his tally of ranking titles to 26.
“The belief is back. Ronnie [O’Sullivan] is an amazing player but I’ve always felt that, when people were saying ‘when Ronnie plays his best nobody is as good as him’, I don’t feel like that,” Trump added.
“I feel that on my day I have so much belief that when I play my best nobody can get near me. It is something I tell myself and I think I have got that back. It is a venue I have struggled with at times but I feel a lot better than the last few years.”
Unsurprisingly, he was also an overwhelming favourite to defeat Pang, who is yet to win or break inside the top 30 in the world rankings.
While Pang struggled to convert several openings into frame-winning contributions, Trump was able to go through his full repertoire of attacking shots, with a short delay due to a member of the public falling ill in the auditorium doing little to disrupt his rhythm.
A superb exhibition shot playing off two cushions to pot the yellow into the top corner pocket on his way to a century in the fourth frame was arguably the highlight of the match and underlined his status as the man to beat this week as he eyes regaining the top spot in the world rankings from O’Sullivan.
