MURPHY MAGIC EDGES OUT RON IN A THRILLER

SHAUN MURPHY scored a thrilling victory over nemesis Ronnie O’sullivan last night to claim a first Champion of Champions title.

Five-time world champion O’sullivan has doled out the misery to Murphy over the years, including three beatings at the Crucible Theatre.

But at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, another of the Rocket’s favourite haunts, Murphy was a 10-8 winner in a dramatic grudge clash between two players who have never seen eye to eye.

If O’sullivan (above) is the box-office maverick, Murphy is the ambassadorial company man – and each winds up the other.

O’sullivan has been branded “pathetic” and “unprofessional” by Murphy in the past for his antics.

And O’sullivan has cited Murphy, who won his only world title in 2005, as the one player on the tour he dislikes – saying “we do not relate”.

But it was Murphy who handed an out-of-sorts two-time event winner O’sullivan just a second defeat in 16 matches at the venue to claim the £100,000 first prize.

World No.5 Murphy had not won a single match at this event in four attempts before last week but stood firm against everything O’sullivan and a partisan crowd could throw at him. This was the second time Murphy had beaten O’sullivan in a final – but a far bigger occasion and achievement than his 2009 Premier League success.

Murphy was 8-4 and then 9-5 ahead. O’sullivan kept him sweating with breaks of 54 and 108 to close to 9-7.

He then fluked a red to set up break of 68 for 9-8, before Murphy won it on the black in the next frame.

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CHAMP Murphy held his nerve to seal a 10-8 win last night