China's Zhou beaten by former world champion Murphy at Snooker UK Championship

Former world champion Shaun Murphy avoided another defeat against a Chinese teenager with a fine display of break-building to beat Zhou Yuelong 6-1 at the Snooker UK Championship in York on Saturday.

   Earlier this month, Murphy suffered a 4-2 reverse against 15-year-old schoolboy Yan Bingtao at the Champion of Champions. But this time there was no surprise exit for world number four Murphy as he outplayed his 17-year-old opponent. The Nottingham-based cueman went through to the last 32 to meet Ben Woollaston or Ross Muir.

   Murphy, the 2008 UK Champion, fired in runs of 63, 124, 100 and 73 to build a 4-0 lead within 54 minutes. Zhou showed his own talent with a 92 to pull one back, but Murphy dominated the next two frames with a top break of 49 to secure his third round place.

   "It's good to build form through a tournament, although when you start as well I have there's not much room for improvement," said 33-year-old Murphy to worldsnooker.com. "There are things I can do better but if I keep playing like that I'll take some stopping. You don't win a tournament in round two so I need to keep that standard for the next game.

   "I knew what my job would be tonight, I felt I'd have to be near my best. Zhou has got an extremely bright future, I think he's a World Champion in the making."

   Shanghai Masters champion Kyren Wilson saw off Mike Dunn 6-2, winning the last five frames with top breaks of 60, 86, 51 and 88. Wilson potted 11 reds with blacks in the last frame but then missed an easy red when on course for a 147 which would have earned a possible 44,000 pounds.  Endi