Kyren Wilson came through his first UK Championship test - after copping a load of stick on a pub pool trip to Great Yarmouth.
The Warrior easily saw off Iran’s Soheil Vahedi 6-2 at York’s Barbican Centre to reach the second round of the season’s first major.
And that came after heading to Norfolk to drown his sorrows after a 6-0 whitewash beating from Judd Trump in last week’s Champion of Champions.
World No5 Wilson, 29, turned out for the A team of Kettering’s ‘Argyll Hustlers’ at a tournament and his presence caused quite a stir.
Wilson said: “It was a bit of fun, I released the shackles and had a few beers and enjoyed myself with some good friends.
“I left Bolton at about 1.00am after losing to Judd and got to Yarmouth and the Vauxhall Holiday Camp at 5.30am.
“My best friend is a landlord and they are his pub teams, my brother Taylor is in the B team and I just about made the cut into the A team.
“People all think I am going to be amazing, but it’s just fun. Everyone clocked me in Yarmouth because they had seen me on TV in Bolton the night before.
“And because of the Judd loss when I won the first frame what seemed a very full room started singing ‘What’s it like to win a frame?’ I won three out of four, so not too bad.
“As a team we needed to win our last group game but drew it 7-7 so didn’t quite make it.
“I’d love to have a good run at the UK, my record here isn’t as good as at the Crucible.”
Meanwhile Scotland’s Anthony McGill is looking for a double in York – a good run at the UK Championship and clinching a place at January’s Masters.
The 30-year-old from Glasgow did not have to be anywhere near his best against Ukrainian teenager Iulian Boiko as the world No16 inflicted a 6-0 whitewash on his hapless opponent.
McGill, whose own highest breaks were just 67 and 63, next faces Leeds’ David Grace, said: “I would love to be at the Masters.
“I don’t usually look at the rankings but I did before this and tried to work things out. I think Zhou Yuelong would have to get to the final and someone outside the 16 to win it to stop me.
“For both of those to happen is unlikely. If that happens fair play to them, but I can help myself with a good run. You’ll be in it if you deserve to be in it.
“It would be nice to win a few matches and go deep at this UK Championship, I’d like to get to the quarter-finals when you have two tables and crowd at the sides as well.
“The only time I got to the quarters I beat John Higgins that year and then Ronnie O’Sullivan beat me. It feels a like a long time ago, back in 2014.
“There wasn’t much resistance from Iulian, he will be disappointed as he missed a hell of a load of balls. So I just picked up what he gave me.
“I hadn’t paid close attention to his results but with the youngsters if they are talented they suddenly start beating good players. He might be one of those.
“But if I had been playing a top player I would have lost on my own performance. I have a train booked tonight so I’ll be away home and then come back for my next match.”
In other results on Tuesday afternoon there were victories for Jak Jones, Mark Joyce, Wu Yize, Dominic Dale, David Grace and Zhou Yuelong.
China’s Zhou came through impressively 6-1 against compatriot Chen Zifan, while in another all-China clash last year’s surprise UK semi-finalist Lu Ning went down 6-3 to Wu.
Leeds’ David Grace once also enjoyed a run to the last four in this first major of the campaign not far from home, and he breezed through to the second round with a 6-2 win over former CBeebies TV star Peter Devlin and will now play McGill.
And two-time ranking event winner Dominic Dale, now 49 but still known as ‘The Spaceman’ on tour for his occasional flights of fancy, came through 6-4 against Ashley Carty.
