NEWPORT potter Andrew Pagett went out in the first round of the UK Snooker Championship on Tuesday but he insists there is no shame in losing to the next Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Pagett was faced with Xiao Guodong in round one, the Chinese sensation having burst onto the scene in the past 18 months and impressed earlier this season in making the final of the Shanghai Masters.

And Guodong had little trouble in seeing off 31-year-old Pagett on Tuesday evening at the Barbican in York, the Welshman offered little respite in a 6-1 defeat.

And Pagett, the world No.103, admits he could do little to slow up his Chinese opponent once he got into full flow.

“He played out of his skin, I had heard a lot about him,” said Pagett. “He has been climbing the ranks pretty quickly over the last 18 months.

“To be fair the first three frames he didn’t even give me a chance, I nicked the fourth one and thought that maybe I was in the match at last.

“But fair play to him, he blew me off the table. I have not really watched him playing but he is one to watch, a brilliant talent with a hell of a career ahead of him.

“He reminds me a bit of Ronnie O’Sullivan in that it is so effortless.”

Pagett’s early season form has been somewhat hit and miss – an early season win over reigning UK champion Mark Selby one of the few highlights.

And the Welshman admits that changing his cue has proved his undoing in the battle to rediscover his best form.

“I have not had the best of seasons, changing cues, I’m struggling at the end of the day,” he added. “He picked up on that and he hit me for six.

“All I can do is get back to the practice table. I’m playing alright in patches but that is not good enough at this level.

“I’m losing position and I think it’s down to swapping and changing cues, more practice is needed and I will see what I can come up with.

“I was hoping to do well here, I was looking forward to this tournament but it didn’t pay off as I would have thought.”

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