Judd Trump and Ali Carter led criticism of the new UK Championship set-up despite comfortable first-round wins in York.

World number four Trump had no trouble reaching round two as he beat amateur Gareth Green 6-2 but claimed his only interest was in making a maximum break, as the multi-table arrangement limited the atmosphere.

A 104 in frame seven was as close as he got. That was the mid-point of his second three-frame run, separated by his amateur opponent closing to 3-2 with a break of 90.

“There is no pressure out there, there used to be a lot of excitement and it seems a bit ruined,” Trump said yesterday.

“All I could think of was making a 147. No disrespect to (Green), he made a couple of good breaks, but to be playing in the UK Championship with four tables is poor.

“It feels like a circus, there is so much going on out there, you are watching other tables and you can’t concentrate without the barriers.”

Two-time World Championship finalist Carter cruised past Thailand’s Ratchayothin Yotharuck 6-1 but was unhappy with the cramped conditions at the Barbican Theatre and the prospect of having to come through seven games to win the tournament.

Even the previously protected top 16 in the world enter at a 128-strong first round stage and Carter told BBC Sport: “It’s not for me, this flat draw. I don’t think the venue can accommodate it.

“It’s hard to believe that if you are in the top 16 you would be in favour of this. We all started off at the bottom and got to the top so I don’t see why doesn’t everyone else have to do that.”

Meanwhile, veterans Jimmy White and Nigel Bond joined the qualifiers but Ken Doherty was a notable casualty, the 1997 world champion beaten 6-5 by world number 99 John Astley.

Doherty, though, said: “Players shouldn’t be grumbling about the state of the game now, with so many events on and opportunities to earn money.

“Top-16 players in the past had protection and were put straight through to the last 32 but overall this way is fairer.”

Other result: Higgins-Borg 6-2.