Home SPORTS Shaun Murphy Sets Up Masters Title Bid with Impressive Opening Session

Shaun Murphy Sets Up Masters Title Bid with Impressive Opening Session

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Shaun Murphy took a commanding 6-2 lead over world champion Kyren Wilson in the opening session of the Masters final, setting himself up for a potential title win.



Shaun Murphy secured his second Masters title, defeating Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the final at Alexandra Palace on Sunday evening. The victory marked Murphy's first Masters crown since 2015 and earned him the prestigious Paul Hunter Trophy, along with a £350,000 prize. Murphy sealed the win in style, finishing with a magnificent century break.


Kyren Wilson staged an impressive comeback in the evening session, having trailed 6-2 at the interval. Wilson won five of the first seven frames in the evening, compiling notable breaks of 95, 78, and 65 to narrow the deficit to 8-7. However, Murphy demonstrated his composure under pressure, capitalizing on Wilson's missed opportunities to regain control of the match.


The turning point came in the 16th frame, when Wilson missed a long red to the right corner. Murphy seized the chance, crafting a valuable 55 to move within one frame of victory. With the title within his grasp, Murphy delivered a decisive blow, compiling his fourth century of the match to seal the win. This triumph ended Murphy's 10-year drought in Triple Crown events, marking a triumphant return to the top tier of snooker.


A jubilant Shaun Murphy expressed his shock and delight at winning the Masters title, telling the BBC, “I can't believe it - I'm in shock.” Murphy had doubted his ability to compete at the highest level, admitting, “If I'm totally honest I thought these days were gone. When I lost to Mark Selby in 2021 at the Crucible, I thought my days in the business end of these events had gone.”



However, Murphy credited his recent partnership with Peter Ebdon for helping him regain his confidence. He said, “But everyone knows I've teamed up with Peter Ebdon and he's helped me rediscover that self-belief, he's helped remind me I used to be quite good at this. There's still a bit of life in the old dog yet.” Murphy also praised his opponent, Kyren Wilson, saying, “I must pay tribute to Kyren - he is a great world champion. He really took it to me and there was a stage a few frames ago when it was panic stations.”


Kyren Wilson reflected on his defeat, telling the BBC, “I just made it too easy for Shaun today. I threw him in the balls too many times and you can't do that with how well Shaun's been playing this week.” Despite the loss, Wilson took pride in his fighting spirit, saying, “I proved why I'm the world champion, I fought as hard as I could. From 8-4 down, a lot of people would have written me off and if the red goes in at 8-7, that could have been my clearance for 8-8 and you might be looking at a different scoreline. But every credit to Shaun - well done to Shaun.”


Shaun Murphy established a commanding 6-2 lead over world champion Kyren Wilson in the opening session of the Masters final. Murphy, who had been in impressive form throughout the tournament, including a 147 maximum break in his semi-final win over Mark Allen, dominated the early proceedings. He set the tone with a break of 94 in the first frame and extended his lead to 3-1 by the mid-session interval.


Kyren Wilson, seeking his first Masters title, struggled to find his rhythm, a stark contrast to his usual composed self. Although he briefly rallied, winning the sixth frame with a half-century break to narrow the gap to 4-2, Murphy's response was swift and decisive. The in-form Murphy compiled back-to-back century breaks, reaffirming his control and establishing a strong advantage heading into the concluding session on Sunday evening.



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