January 16th 2025.
Shaun Murphy has emerged victorious in his match against Neil Robertson at the Masters, securing a spot in the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace. The event served as a pleasant surprise for Robertson, who was able to take Ronnie O'Sullivan's place in the draw after the latter's recent withdrawal.
Robertson had a strong start, defeating John Higgins in his first match. However, Murphy proved to be too formidable for him in their match on Thursday afternoon. The two players initially traded frames, with Murphy taking the first one with a break of 90 and Robertson responding with a 79 in the next.
But Murphy gained momentum and won the next three frames, including a crucial steal in the fifth that saw Robertson score a 66, only for Murphy to answer with a break of the same size and take the frame by a single point. Despite this setback, Robertson showed great poise and made a break of 108 in the sixth frame. However, Murphy remained undeterred and secured a victory with an 82 break, leaving him just one frame away from the win.
In the final frame, Murphy was on track for a perfect finish, potting 15 reds and blacks before accidentally snookering himself behind the blue on the yellow ball, ending his break at 120 points. He jokingly exclaimed, "What an idiot! Anywhere but there! I would love to have another go at that one, goodness me," during an interview with BBC.
Murphy's performance has been nothing short of impressive as he vies for his second Masters title. He shared, "I said that one of my targets for the season was to make a maximum break in one of the Triple Crown events. It would have been a great present because it's my mum's birthday today!"
Reflecting on his match, Murphy stated, "That was somewhere near my best. I'm delighted. I'm really pleased." He also acknowledged the importance of stepping up to the challenge when playing against one of the greats, which he believes he has not always been able to do throughout his career. He concluded, "I'm pleased with how I finished the game as well. I'm delighted that when I got my chance, I took it in one visit."
Murphy will now face either Mark Selby or Mark Allen in the semi-finals on Saturday. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting tournament.
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