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Murphy has clashed with [[Stephen Maguire]], another of the 2000 Young Players of Distinction, on several occasions. During their [[2004 Grand Prix (snooker)|2004 Grand Prix]] match, Murphy was instrumental in Maguire forfeiting a frame.<ref name=Everton15Dec07 /> As the match was about to begin and after they had shaken hands, Maguire realised he had forgotten to bring his {{Cuegloss|Chalk|chalk}} with him and asked referee Johan Oomen for permission to leave the arena. While Maguire was away, Murphy spoke to the referee; the tournament director Mike Ganley was summoned and he docked Maguire a frame for technically not being ready to start at the scheduled time—an incident which angered and surprised Maguire.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article1730660.ece | publisher=''[[The Times]]'' | title=Top five frame dockings | first=Phil | last=Yates | date=1 May 2007 | accessdate=3 July 2010 | location=London}}</ref><ref name="rivalry">{{Cite web| url=http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/07/02/17/SNOOKER_Welsh_Higginson.html | publisher=''[[Sporting Life (newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' | title=Higginson Revelling in Spotlight | date=17 February 2007 | accessdate=2 July 2010}}</ref> Maguire won the match 5–2 and later commented: "Rules are rules but I've never heard of anything like that happening before".<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/3714886.stm | publisher=[[BBC Sport]] | title=Williams crashes out | date=4 October 2004 | accessdate=3 July 2010}}</ref> Further incidents came in subsequent years. During the 2006 World Championship, Maguire said "I don't want to be a fat world champion", a reference to Murphy.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://news.williamhill.com/a/uk-championship/prepare-for-fireworks-as-murphy-and-maguire-go-to-war/ | publisher=[[William Hill (bookmaker)|William Hill]] | title=Prepare for fireworks as Murphy and Maguire go to war | first=Martin | last=Dalgleish | date=19 December 2008 | accessdate=2 July 2010}}</ref> After beating Murphy in the [[2007 Welsh Open (snooker)|2007 Welsh Open]], Maguire said of the chalk incident, "That put the icing on the cake, but we've always had a rivalry. I dislike him and I think he dislikes me. I try hard to beat everyone, but it would have hurt more if I'd lost to him."<ref name="rivalry"/>
Murphy has clashed with [[Stephen Maguire]], another of the 2000 Young Players of Distinction, on several occasions. During their [[2004 Grand Prix (snooker)|2004 Grand Prix]] match, Murphy was instrumental in Maguire forfeiting a frame.<ref name=Everton15Dec07 /> As the match was about to begin and after they had shaken hands, Maguire realised he had forgotten to bring his {{Cuegloss|Chalk|chalk}} with him and asked referee Johan Oomen for permission to leave the arena. While Maguire was away, Murphy spoke to the referee; the tournament director Mike Ganley was summoned and he docked Maguire a frame for technically not being ready to start at the scheduled time—an incident which angered and surprised Maguire.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article1730660.ece | publisher=''[[The Times]]'' | title=Top five frame dockings | first=Phil | last=Yates | date=1 May 2007 | accessdate=3 July 2010 | location=London}}</ref><ref name="rivalry">{{Cite web| url=http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=snooker/07/02/17/SNOOKER_Welsh_Higginson.html | publisher=''[[Sporting Life (newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' | title=Higginson Revelling in Spotlight | date=17 February 2007 | accessdate=2 July 2010}}</ref> Maguire won the match 5–2 and later commented: "Rules are rules but I've never heard of anything like that happening before".<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/3714886.stm | publisher=[[BBC Sport]] | title=Williams crashes out | date=4 October 2004 | accessdate=3 July 2010}}</ref> Further incidents came in subsequent years. During the 2006 World Championship, Maguire said "I don't want to be a fat world champion", a reference to Murphy.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://news.williamhill.com/a/uk-championship/prepare-for-fireworks-as-murphy-and-maguire-go-to-war/ | publisher=[[William Hill (bookmaker)|William Hill]] | title=Prepare for fireworks as Murphy and Maguire go to war | first=Martin | last=Dalgleish | date=19 December 2008 | accessdate=2 July 2010}}</ref> After beating Murphy in the [[2007 Welsh Open (snooker)|2007 Welsh Open]], Maguire said of the chalk incident, "That put the icing on the cake, but we've always had a rivalry. I dislike him and I think he dislikes me. I try hard to beat everyone, but it would have hurt more if I'd lost to him."<ref name="rivalry"/>


Murphy has been outspoken on several other of his rivals, criticising them for having too many toilet breaks and complaining about table conditions, among other things.<ref name="Everton (2009-12-9)"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Baxter |first=Trevor |title=Murphy tables no complaints |date=23 April 2006 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/2335788/Murphy-tables-no-complaints.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref> His harshest criticism has been reserved for [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], highlighting what he perceives to be O'Sullivan's lack of professionalism, and suggesting that his popularity in the game is not deserved.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ronnie gets a real Rocket |date=11 December 2010 |work=[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]] |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/3271606/Ronnie-gets-a-real-Rocket.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Speck |first=Ivan |title=Murphy re-opens old wounds by firing broadside at 'selfish' Rocket |date=23 April 2011 |work=[[Daily Mail]] |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1379772/Shaun-Murphy-opens-old-wounds-firing-broadside-selfish-Ronnie-OSullivan.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref>
Murphy has been outspoken on several other of his rivals, criticising them for having too many toilet breaks and complaining about table conditions, among other things.<ref name="Everton (2009-12-9)"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Baxter |first=Trevor |title=Murphy tables no complaints |date=23 April 2006 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/2335788/Murphy-tables-no-complaints.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref> His harshest criticism has been reserved for [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], highlighting what he perceives to be O'Sullivan's lack of professionalism, and suggesting that his popularity in the game is not deserved.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ronnie gets a real Rocket |date=11 December 2010 |work=[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]] |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/3271606/Ronnie-gets-a-real-Rocket.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Speck |first=Ivan |title=Murphy re-opens old wounds by firing broadside at 'selfish' Rocket |date=23 April 2011 |work=[[Daily Mail]] |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1379772/Shaun-Murphy-opens-old-wounds-firing-broadside-selfish-Ronnie-OSullivan.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref>

Murphy realises that he is not well liked|date=23 April 2011 |work=[[Daily Mail]] |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1379772/Shaun-Murphy-opens-old-wounds-firing-broadside-selfish-Ronnie-OSullivan.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref>


==Playing style==
==Playing style==

Revision as of 13:16, 22 June 2011

Shaun Murphy
A dark-haired man, dressed in a white dress-shirt, black vest and black bow-tie
Murphy at the Paul Hunter Classic in 2008
Born (1982-08-10) 10 August 1982 (age 42)
Harlow, England
Sport country England
NicknameThe Magician[1]
Professional1998–
Highest ranking3 (3 years)
Current ranking 7 (as of 26 August 2024)
Century breaks670 (as of 4 September 2024)
Tournament wins
Ranking4
Minor-ranking1
World Champion2005

Shaun Murphy (born 10 August 1982) is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.

Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned professional in 1998. His victory at the World Championship was considered a major surprise as he was only the second qualifier to lift the title. His other ranking tournament victories came in the 2007 Malta Cup and the 2008 UK Championship, while he reached a second World Championship final in 2009. He also has won six non-ranking tournaments.

Murphy has won over £1 million in prize money and has compiled over 190 century breaks in his professional career. His highest world ranking was number three, which he maintained for three seasons following 2007/2008, while his ranking for the 2010/2011 season is seventh. Murphy also became engaged in a public rivalry with fellow player Stephen Maguire, while his separation from his wife in 2008, after three years of marriage, made the headlines.

Career

Born in Harlow, England, Murphy began playing snooker at the age of 8 after his parents bought him a snooker table for Christmas.[2] He made his first century break at the age of 10[3] and practised at the Rushden Snooker Centre, where players such as Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, and Ken Doherty have also practised.[4] At the age of 13, he secured a five-year £5,000-a-year sponsorship deal with the Doc Martens shoe company[3][5] and stated his ambitions of winning the World Championship and becoming world number one.[6] He turned professional in 1998 at the age of 15.[7]

Murphy was coached by Steve Prest until the 2006/2007 season.[8] Willie Thorne[8] and Ray Reardon also gave him guidance,[9] and when he was 15, he was given the latter's old cue by his father.[10]

Early career

Murphy began his career on the UK Tour (renamed the Challenge Tour in 2000), at the time the second-level professional tour. He was runner-up in the fourth event on the UK tour for the 1997/1998 season and, for the 2000/2001 season, won the third and fourth events on the Challenge Tour, topping the Order of Merit rankings .[11] In 2000, he received the World Snooker Newcomer of the Year award[12] and one of six Young Player of Distinction of the Year awards from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.[13] In 2000, he won the English Open Championship.[5]

Murphy won his first professional tournament at the 2000 Benson & Hedges Championship, defeating Mark Davis by six frames to one (6–1) in the semi-final,[14] and Stuart Bingham 9–7 in the final, recovering from 2–5 down.[15] Although he was not yet on the first-level main tour, this victory brought qualification for the Masters[15]—a prestigious non-ranking invitation tournament with places for members of the top 16, the winner of the qualifying tournament, and a limited number of wildcards. In the 2001 tournament, he showed promise in his first televised match, defeating world number 15, Marco Fu,[5] and building a 4–1 lead over seven-time world champion Hendry, before losing the match.[16] He made his only maximum break in the 2001 Benson & Hedges Championship.[17]

Early ranking results

Murphy first reached the final stages of a ranking event at the 2002 World Championship, hosted at the Crucible Theatre, where he lost 4–10 to Hendry in the first round.[18] In the 2002/2003 season, he reached the final stages of the Scottish Open, where he was defeated 3–5 by Drew Henry in the first round,[19] and the World Championship, where he lost 9–10 against Doherty on the final black in the first round.[20]

For the 2003/2004 season, Murphy was ranked number 64[21] and qualified for the final stages of three ranking tournaments. In the LG Cup, Murphy defeated Steve Davis 5–4 in the second round,[22] before losing 2–5 to John Higgins in third round.[23] After the victory over Davis, Murphy said "This is one of the greatest days in my snooker career."[22] In the British Open, he defeated Dave Harold 5–1 in the first round,[24] before losing to Paul Hunter 2–5 in the second round.[25] In the Players Championship—the new name of the Scottish Open—he lost 3–5 to eventual champion Jimmy White in the second round.[26] He failed to reach the World Championship, losing a qualifying match 7–10 against Stuart Pettman, in which Pettman was docked a frame for arriving late.[27]

For the 2004/2005 season, Murphy was ranked number 48[28] and reached the final stages of four ranking events, including the World Championship victory. In the Grand Prix—the new name of the LG Cup—he lost 2–5 to Stephen Maguire in the first round.[29] This was followed by his first ranking semi-final, at the British Open, where he was whitewashed 0–6 by Higgins.[30][31] In the Malta Cup, he lost 2–5 to Matthew Stevens in the first round.[32]

2005 World Championship

Main article: 2005 World Snooker Championship

Murphy won two qualifying matches to qualify for the 2005 World Championship. He defeated former world champions Higgins 13–8, Davis 13–4, and Peter Ebdon 17–12 to reach the final to face Stevens, the world number six.[28][33] He trailed Stevens 6–10 at the end of the first day (the World Championship final is played over two days),[34] but made a comeback to bring the score to 16–16. He then made two frame-winning breaks to lift the title.[35] His 11 century breaks were the most in that year's tournament.[36]

Murphy's victory was considered a major surprise. His pre-tournament odds were 150–1, and before his win, he was considered an underachiever.[37] He became only the second qualifier to win the World Championship (or to reach the final) after Terry Griffiths in 1979. At the age of 22, Murphy was the second youngest player to win the World Championship, following Hendry who first lifted the title when he was 21.[31] No previous world champion had played as many matches (seven) to lift the title,[38] and he was the lowest ranked player, at number 48, to win the tournament.[39] No player had won the World Championship as his first ranking event win since Joe Johnson in 1986.[31] His run in the tournament earned him the nickname "Magician" and the tournament doubled his previous career prize money, with which he purchased a Mercedes-Benz and a house.[10] After his win, in July 2005, he married his fiancee Clare.[40][41]

2005/2006

For the new season, he improved his ranking to number 21,[42] which would not usually guarantee qualification for ranking events. However, as world champion he qualified automatically for every tournament in the season as the number two seed (and number one seed for the 2006 World Championship).[43] He was invited to play in the Premier League Snooker, a non-ranking tournament with a 25-a-second shot clock, but he went out in the round-robin stage.[44]

In the inaugural, non-ranking Northern Ireland Trophy, he reached the quarter-finals before he was defeated 4–5 by Neil Robertson.[45] In the first three ranking events of the season—the Grand Prix, the UK Championship, and the Malta Cup—he reached the last 16, losing final-frame matches to Bingham,[46] Robertson,[47] and Graeme Dott,[48] respectively. After his loss to Bingham, he complained about having to play his match on an outside table, given his world champion status.[46] In the revival of Pot Black, a single-frame knockout tournament not staged since 1991,[49] Murphy was defeated in the final by Stevens.[50] He was awarded Sportsman Of The Year at the BBC East Midlands Sports Awards in December 2005.[51]

In the Masters, Murphy lost 4–6 to Higgins in the quarter-finals,[52] but reached his second ranking final in the Welsh Open, losing 4–9 to Stephen Lee.[53] In the World Championship, he reached the quarter-finals, but fell victim to the "Crucible Curse"—no first-time champion has successfully defended the title at the Crucible Theatre[54]— when he was defeated 7–13 by Ebdon.[55]

2006/2007

For the next season, Murphy moved to number five in the world rankings,[56] entering the elite top 16 for the first time, and thereby automatically qualifying for the final stages of ranking tournaments and receiving an automatic invitation to the Masters.

In the Northern Ireland Trophy (a ranking event in this season), he lost 4–5 to Lee in the quarter-finals,[57] and in the UK Championship, he lost 3–9 to Alan McManus in the second round.[58] A 3–6 defeat by Stephen Hendry in the quarter-finals of the Masters[59] was followed by his second ranking title, when he defeated Ryan Day 9–4 in the final of the Malta Cup.[60] After the victory, he said it was a relief to get rid of the one-hit wonder label.[61] In his next match, a victory over Jamie Cope in the Welsh Open, he scored centuries in four consecutive frames, becoming only the second player to do this (after Higgins in the 2005 Grand Prix final) and the only person to do so in a best-of-nine match.[62] He went on to lose 3–5 to Maguire in the quarter-finals.[63] In the World Championship, Murphy defeated Stevens 13–12 in the quarter-finals—recovering from 5–11 down and knocking the latter out of the top 16[64][65]—before losing 16–17 against Mark Selby in the semi-finals.[66]

2007/2008

For the 2007/2008 season, he was ranked number three, his highest ever ranking,[67] and reached at least the semi-finals of five ranking events, without winning any.

In the inaugural Shanghai Masters, he was defeated 2–5 by Ian McCulloch in the first round.[68] He reached the final of the Pot Black, where he was defeated by Doherty.[69] In the Grand Prix, he reached the semi-finals, where he lost 5–6 against Ronnie O'Sullivan, despite leading 5–2.[70][71] Further semi-finals followed at the Northern Ireland Trophy and the UK Championship, where he was defeated on both occasions by Maguire, 5–6[72] and 5–9,[73] respectively, making it three consecutive semi-final losses. Before the UK Championship, he was provisionally ranked number one.[39][74] He successfully defended his Malta Cup title (that year the tournament was not a ranking event) with a 9–3 victory over Doherty in the final.[75] In the China Open, he defeated Selby 6–3 in the semi-final[76]—his sixth semi-final in the past seven ranking events[77]—but lost 9–10 to Maguire in the final.[78] Before the World Championship, he was again provisional number one.[79]

In the World Championship, as one of the favourties, he reached the second round, before losing 4–13 to Ali Carter.[77][80] After his loss, Murphy criticised the state of the tables.[77] Up to this point, on the five occasions Murphy had been defeated at the Crucible Theatre, his conqueror had always gone on to lose the World Championship final.

2008/2009

Murphy maintained his number three ranking for the 2008/2009 season.[81] He won the non-ranking Paul Hunter Classic, defeating Selby 4–0 in the final,[82] but lost in the first round of the first four ranking tournaments, including a 4–5 defeat by world number 47 Mike Dunn in the Bahrain Championship.[83] In October, Murphy and his wife separated, after three years of marriage, and he did not wear his wedding ring in the Grand Prix.[41]

Despite the four consecutive first-round losses—which had been attributed to the split from his wife[84]—Murphy claimed his third ranking title at the UK Championship, defeating Fu 10–9 in a low-quality final, in which he fluked a pink in the deciding frame that was effectively match ball.[85][86] The victory meant he joined Davis, Alex Higgins, Griffiths, John Parrott, Hendry, O'Sullivan, Williams, John Higgins and Ebdon as the tenth player to have won both the World title and the UK title, cementing his place as one of the elite top players in the world.

In the World Championship, there were concerns that Murphy's estranged wife would serve him divorce papers during play of his first-round match against Andrew Higginson. However, nothing transpired and he defeated Higginson 10–8, although his wife's parents were present in the arena and were asked to leave.[87][88] He went on to defeat Fu 13–3, Hendry 13–11, and Robertson 17–14 to earn a place in his second world final, with two-time world champion Higgins as the opponent.[89] In the final, he trailed 5–11 after the first day, and was beaten 18–9 by Higgins.[90] On the first day of the final, a newspaper published a "kiss and tell" story involving Murphy.[91][92]

2009/2010

Murphy maintained his number three ranking for a third year in the 2009/2010 season.[93] He successfully defended his Paul Hunter Classic title, defeating White 4–0 in the final.[94] He won the Premier League Snooker with a 7–3 win against O'Sullivan in the final, ending the latter's run of five consecutive wins in the tournament.[95]

He reached the semi-finals of the first ranking tournament, the Shanghai Masters, before losing 5–6 against Liang Wenbo.[96] This would be his only run to the semi-finals or better in a ranking tournament that season. In the UK Championship, as the defending champion, he lost 5–9 to eventual winner Ding Junhui in the second round.[97] After the match, Murphy complained about Ding leaving the arena too often after frames, saying "I can't believe anyone needs to go to the toilet after every single frame."[98] He reached the quarter-finals of the Masters, where he lost 4–6 against Williams.[99] In the Welsh Open and the China Open, he lost his first-round matches to Stevens[100] and Nigel Bond,[101] respectively. In the World Championship, he defeated Gerard Greene and Ding, but lost 12–13 against Carter in the quarter-finals, despite leading 8–4.[102][103] This was the first season in which he did not reach a final or better of a ranking tournament since the 2003/2004 season.

2010/2011

After three seasons ranked number three, he dropped to number seven for the 2010/2011 season.[104] He won the Wuxi Classic, a non-ranking tournament held in China, defeating Ding 9–8, recovering from 2–8 down.[105] Murphy reached the semi-finals of the Paul Hunter Classic, now part of the Players Tour Championship minor-ranking series, but lost 2–4 against eventual winner Judd Trump.[106] Murphy won the Brugge Open, the second European event of the Players Tour Championship, with defeating Matthew Couch 4–2 in the final.[107] He reached the final of the Ruhr Championship, but lost 2–4 against John Higgins.[108] Murphy finished 1st on the Players Tour Championship Order of Merit.[109] Murphy failed to defend his Premier League Snooker title, as he lost 1–7 against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final.[110] He than reached the semi-finals of the 2010 UK Championship, where he lost to eventuel runner-up Mark Williams 8–9.[111]

Murphy lost in the first round of the Masters 3–6 against Jamie Cope,[112] in the second round of the German Masters 2–5 against Joe Swail[113] and in the first round of the Welsh Open 0–4 against Matthew Stevens.[114] Murphy then won the finals of the Players Tour Championship, by defeating Martin Gould 4–0 in the final.[115] The next week Murphy also reached the final of the Championship League, but lost 1–3 against Matthew Stevens.[116] Murphy reached the semi-final of the China Open, where he lost 1–6 against Judd Trump.[117] Murphy's last tournament of the season was the World Championship, where he lost in the second round 10–13 against O'Sullivan.[118]

Rivalry

Murphy has clashed with Stephen Maguire, another of the 2000 Young Players of Distinction, on several occasions. During their 2004 Grand Prix match, Murphy was instrumental in Maguire forfeiting a frame.[74] As the match was about to begin and after they had shaken hands, Maguire realised he had forgotten to bring his chalk with him and asked referee Johan Oomen for permission to leave the arena. While Maguire was away, Murphy spoke to the referee; the tournament director Mike Ganley was summoned and he docked Maguire a frame for technically not being ready to start at the scheduled time—an incident which angered and surprised Maguire.[119][120] Maguire won the match 5–2 and later commented: "Rules are rules but I've never heard of anything like that happening before".[121] Further incidents came in subsequent years. During the 2006 World Championship, Maguire said "I don't want to be a fat world champion", a reference to Murphy.[122] After beating Murphy in the 2007 Welsh Open, Maguire said of the chalk incident, "That put the icing on the cake, but we've always had a rivalry. I dislike him and I think he dislikes me. I try hard to beat everyone, but it would have hurt more if I'd lost to him."[120]

Murphy has been outspoken on several other of his rivals, criticising them for having too many toilet breaks and complaining about table conditions, among other things.[98][123] His harshest criticism has been reserved for Ronnie O'Sullivan, highlighting what he perceives to be O'Sullivan's lack of professionalism, and suggesting that his popularity in the game is not deserved.[124][125]

Murphy realises that he is not well liked|date=23 April 2011 |work=Daily Mail |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1379772/Shaun-Murphy-opens-old-wounds-firing-broadside-selfish-Ronnie-OSullivan.html |accessdate=22 June 2011}}</ref>

Playing style

Nicknamed "The Magician" and "The Whiston Warrior",[126] Murphy is noted for his straight cue action[10]—which Davis once called "the best cue action I’ve ever seen"[10]—his long potting,[39][127] and his breakbuilding.[39] Phil Yates wrote in 2008 in The Times that Murphy has improved his tactical game since his World Championship victory.[79] He has compiled more than 190 century breaks[128][129] and has made one maximum break. His career earnings amount to £1,052,845 (up to the end of the 2008/2009 season).[130]

Personal life

Murphy was born in Harlow and grew up in Irthlingborough. He moved to Rotherham during the 2003/2004 season to be with his fiancee,[31] and has lived in Sale since the separation.[131] Homeschooled from age 13 after being bullied at school,[2][10] Murphy's parents split up when he was 14. He lived with his father Tony, a former professional golfer, and did not see his mother again until he was 19.[2][132] During the 2007 World Championship, it was reported that he had developed a rift with his father who was a member of the World Snooker board.[133][134] He said that they had not spoken in over a year, but that he would willingly speak to his father again if he was called.[134]

Murphy has been a devout Christian since the age of 17, after meeting a religious family on holiday.[10][135] He prays in his dressing room before every match,[6] once said "I believe I was put here to play snooker well", and donates one-tenth of his income to the church.[10] He is known for his confidence,[8] dedication,[84] and well-spoken demeanor.

Murphy married fiancee Clare, whom he met on an online Christian chatroom, in July 2005.[40] They spent some of the summer of 2005 doing aid work in Zimbabwe.[136] The pair separated in October 2008.[41][137] In an article in The People newspaper, Abigayle Tadeo, an escort girl and an old friend of Murphy's, claimed that the two had had sex in a hotel room in November 2008.[91][92]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament 1998/
99 		1999/
00 		2000/
01 		2001/
02 		2002/
03 		2003/
04 		2004/
05 		2005/
06 		2006/
07 		2007/
08 		2008/
09 		2009/
10 		2010/
11
Ranking UR[nb 1] 147 151 169 72 64 48 21 5 3 3 3 7
Ranking Tournaments
Shanghai Masters Not Held 1R 1R SF 2R
World Open[nb 2] LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 3R 1R 3R 1R SF 1R 1R LQ
UK Championship LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 3R 1R SF W 2R SF
German Masters NR Not Held 2R
Welsh Open LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ F QF SF QF 1R 1R
China Open[nb 3] LQ LQ LQ LQ Not Held LQ 1R QF F QF 1R SF
World Championship LQ LQ LQ 1R 1R LQ W QF SF 2R F QF 2R
Non-Ranking Tournaments
The Masters A A 1R A A A A QF QF QF 1R QF 1R
Premier League A A A A A A A RR A A A W F
Wuxi Classic[nb 4] Not Held RR SF W
Former Ranking Tournaments
Scottish Open[nb 5] LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R 2R Not Held
British Open LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 2R SF Not Held
Malta Cup[nb 6] LQ Not Held LQ LQ LQ 1R 2R W W Not Held
Northern Ireland Trophy Not Held QF QF SF 2R Not Held
Bahrain Championship Not Held 1R Not Held
Performance Table Legend
NH tournament not held in that season A did not participate in the tournament
LQ lost in qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(RR = round robin)
QF advanced to but not past the quarter-finals SF advanced to but not past the semi-finals
F advanced to the final, tournament runner-up W won the tournament
Italics or NR means the event offered no ranking points for that season (this does not imply that those in roman type were ranking events)
  1. ^ New players on the Main Tour do not have a ranking
  2. ^ The event ran under the names LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and Grand Prix (1998/1999–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010)
  3. ^ The event ran under the name China International (1998/1999)
  4. ^ The event ran under the name Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
  5. ^ The event ran under the name Players Championship (2003/2004)
  6. ^ The event ran under the names European Open (2001/2002–2003/2004) and Irish Open (1998/1999)

Career finals

Ranking event finals: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Legend
World Championship (1–1)
UK Championship (1–0)
Other (2–2)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1. 2005 World Snooker Championship Wales Matthew Stevens 18–16 [138]
Runner-up 1. 2006 Welsh Open England Stephen Lee 4–9 [139]
Winner 2. 2007 Malta Cup Wales Ryan Day 9–4 [140]
Runner-up 2. 2008 China Open Scotland Stephen Maguire 9–10 [141]
Winner 3. 2008 UK Championship Hong Kong Marco Fu 10–9 [142]
Runner-up 3. 2009 World Snooker Championship Scotland John Higgins 9–18 [138]
Winner 4 2011 Players Tour Championship – Finals England Martin Gould 4–0 [143]

Non-ranking event finals: 11 (6 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Legend
Masters (0–0)
Premier League (1–1)
Other (5–4)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Runner-up 1. UK Tour 1997/1998 – Event 4 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace 4–6 [144]
Winner 1. 2000 Benson & Hedges Championship England Stuart Bingham 9–7 [145]
Winner 2. Challenge Tour 2000/2001 – Event 3 England Andrew Norman 6–3 [144]
Winner 3. Challenge Tour 2000/2001 – Event 4 England Luke Simmonds 6–2 [144]
Runner-up 2. 2005 Pot Black Wales Matthew Stevens 0–1 [146]
Runner-up 3. 2007 Pot Black (2) Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty 0–1 [146]
Winner 4. 2008 Malta Cup Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty 9–3 [140]
Winner 5. 2009 Premier League Snooker England Ronnie O'Sullivan 7–3 [147]
Winner 6. 2010 Wuxi Classic China Ding Junhui 9–8 [141]
Runner-up 4. 2010 Premier League Snooker England Ronnie O'Sullivan 1–7 [147]
Runner-up 5. 2011 Championship League Wales Matthew Stevens 1–3 [147]

Minor-ranking event finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1 2010 Brugge Open England Matthew Couch 4–2 [143]
Runner-up 1. 2010 Ruhr Championship Scotland John Higgins 2–4 [143]

Pro-am event finals: 5 (4 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
World Series (2–1)
Other (2–0)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Runner-up 1. 2008 World Series – Berlin event Scotland Graeme Dott 1–6 [148]
Winner 1. 2008 Paul Hunter Classic England Mark Selby 4–0 [149]
Winner 2. 2009 World Series – Grand Final Scotland John Higgins 6–2 [148]
Winner 3. 2009 World Series – Champion of Champions Challenge England Jimmy White 5–1 [148]
Winner 4. 2009 Paul Hunter Classic England Jimmy White 4–0 [149]

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