MURPHY PULLS OFF A MAGICAL COMEBACK
SHAUN MURPHY produced one of the greatest-ever Crucible comebacks to reach today’s Betfred World Championship final. The Magician conjured up a sensational spell of snooker to win 13 of the last 15 frames as he recovered from 10-4 down to inflict a painful 17-12 semi-final defeat on nearly man Kyren Wilson.
And it’s the first time since Ken Doherty, the
1997 champion, in 2003 that someone has overhauled a six-frame deficit to reach the final.
World No.6wilson has now lost in two semi-finals and last year’s showcase final to Ronnie O’sullivan in the past four years.
Demonstrative Murphy punched the air in delight at the end of each session, much to the chagrin of beaten Wilson.
“It means so much to all of us,” admitted Murphy. “It means everything to us.
“We play in events all over the season.the Majors are the biggest and this is the biggest of the lot.
“It means more than anything. The fist pumps, I don’t have a problem with it and I think we need that in sport.
“I think it’s something in snooker which we don’t have in common with other sports.
“I didn’t think I was disrespectful to Kyren in any way. It was celebrating my shots at my time and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Murphy would join an elite list of multiple world champions if goes on to pocket the £500,000 top prize tomorrow night.
Only Stephen Hendry (seven), Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, O’sullivan (six), John Higgins (four), John Spencer, Mark Williams, Mark Selby (three) and
Alex Higgins (two) have achieved the famous feat.
Murphy, who won the world title in 2005, is bidding to end a 15-year wait between Crucible triumphs – like Mark Williams famously did when he beat Scot John Higgins in the 2018 final.
And he’s desperate to make it third time lucky after losing in the 2009 and 2015 finals to Higgins
and Stuart
Bingham respectively. Breaks of 59, 86, 79, 120, and 76 started the Murphy comeback as he finished the morning session level at 12-12.
And he completed the job with further visits of 78, 91, 117, 77 and 58 last night.
Devastated Wilson, who pocketed £100,000, said: “I think the fist pumps look a bit silly, it’s not for me.
“Shaun’s got to do what he’s got to do to get to me,
I’m not saying it did.
“Fair play to him, he used his experience.”
Murphy will meet
Mark Selby (right) in the final after he beat Stuart
Bingham 17-15 in the other semi-final.
They had made history as the first world semi-final to be hauled off for slow play with Selby
16-15 up.