Shaun Murphy delivered an impressive performance, securing a dominant win. He looks in good shape for his next match against either the reigning champion or Ding Junhui.
Murphy’s Dominant Performance
The match featured four centuries in all and a litany of other breaks. According to Ken Doherty, Shaun Murphy looks really good and could be a danger for anyone in this tournament. Doherty noted that Murphy’s style can upset opponents: “He stomps around the table and looks like he owns the arena and that can upset your opponent. When he is knocking those balls in and stomping around the table it has an affect. He is showman.”
Murphy sealed his win with a run of 103. He was simply too good for Xiao Guodong. Murphy is picking off ball after ball, securing the match.
Key Moments in the Match
Shaun Murphy thought he had got a kick as he rattled the jaws of the corner pocket after potting a black off its spot. Xiao Guodong missed a red, failing to convert a chance to the same pocket.
Murphy played very well in and amongst the balls, but some of these frames have felt like a practice session. A third century of the match looked on the cards and he got it with a delightful shot that releases the final tied up red.
Is a maximum 147 break on here for Shaun Murphy? He was on the balls and looking good, according to John Parrott.
Murphy’s Decisive Victory
It’s been a barrage of breaks and Murphy has had a bit of help from Xiao, who has not been that sharp. It’s got worse and worse for Xiao Guodong. Murphy pounced on another Xiao miss to go eight frames clear.
Shaun Murphy will be so determined to win the match according to Ken Doherty. Murphy conjured up a break of 69 with an excellent counter clearance to move 11-3 ahead.
An evening off looks well and truly on the cards now for Murphy. When he plays like this he is nigh on unbeatable, commentators said.