Shaun Murphy
Born | Harlow, England | 10 August 1982
---|---|
Sport country | England |
Nickname | The Magician[1] |
Professional | 1998– |
Highest ranking | 3 (3 years) |
Current ranking | 9 (as of 11 November 2024) |
Century breaks | 682 (as of 10 November 2024) |
Tournament wins | |
Ranking | 4 |
Minor-ranking | 1 |
World Champion | 2005 |
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
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. [126]
Playing style
Nicknamed "The Magician" and "The Whiston Warrior",[127] 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][128] 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[129][130] and has made one maximum break. His career earnings amount to £1,052,845 (up to the end of the 2008/2009 season).[131]
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.[132] 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][133] 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.[134][135] 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.[135]
Murphy has been a devout Christian since the age of 17, after meeting a religious family on holiday.[10][136] 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.[137] The pair separated in October 2008.[41][138] 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) |
- ^ New players on the Main Tour do not have a ranking
- ^ The event ran under the names LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and Grand Prix (1998/1999–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010)
- ^ The event ran under the name China International (1998/1999)
- ^ The event ran under the name Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
- ^ The event ran under the name Players Championship (2003/2004)
- ^ 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)
|
Non-ranking event finals: 11 (6 titles, 5 runner-ups)
|
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 | Matthew Couch | 4–2 | [144] |
Runner-up | 1. | 2010 | Ruhr Championship | John Higgins | 2–4 | [144] |
Pro-am event finals: 5 (4 titles, 1 runner-up)
|
References
- ^ "Shaun Murphy". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Mott, Sue (10 May 2005). "Murphy earns big break". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b "Shaun Murphy – Did you know...?". BBC Sport. 3 May 2005. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
- ^ Weaver, Paul (4 May 2005). "Murphy puts Rushden in frame". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b c Everton, Clive (4 February 2001). "Murphy's got the right stuff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- ^ a b Shea, Julian (3 May 2005). "Murphy's rise to the world summit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 July 2010. For the interview, see "Interview: Thirteen-year-old Shaun Murphy on his aspirations for his career in snooker".
- ^ Chowdhury, Saj (30 April 2005). "Who is Shaun Murphy?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- ^ a b c Yates, Phil (5 February 2007). "Forgotten man Murphy relishing his long-awaited second coming". London: The Times. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ Ferguson, Peter (17 April 2008). "I almost quit, then shocked the world says Crucible hero Murphy". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b c d e f g Kidd, Patrick (15 April 2006). "Murphy seeks win and a prayer after taking cue from his faith". London: The Times. Retrieved 2.
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(help); Text "July 2010" ignored (help) - ^ "WPBSA Secondary Professional Tour". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk (Chris Turner's Snooker Archive). Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ Chowdhury, Saj (30 April 2005). "Who is Shaun Murphy?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ Everton, Clive (18 November 2000). "Young guns fall by the wayside". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Murphy too strong for Davis". BBC Sport. 15 November 2000. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Murphy battles to claim crown". BBC Sport. 17 November 2000. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
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- ^ "Shaun Murphy". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "Hendry eases into second round". BBC Sport. 22 April 2002. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- ^ "Regal Scottish Open 2003". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ Harlow, Phil (31 December 2003). "Unsung heroes of the year". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
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- ^ a b "Murphy stuns Davis". BBC Sport. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
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- ^ "Parrott falls at the first". BBC Sport. 9 November 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "O'Sullivan returns to form". BBC Sport. 10 November 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Daily Record Players Championship 2004". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ "Pettman angry after victory". BBC Sport. 20 February 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Embassy World Rankings 2004/2005". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ "totesport Grand Prix 2004". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "British Open draw". BBC Sport. 13 November 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ a b c d Yates, Phil (4 May 2005). "Murphy gives warning of shape of things to come". London: The Times. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Malta Cup 2005". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ "World Snooker draw and results". BBC Sport. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ Everton, Clive (2 May 2005). "Stevens takes control as Murphy stutters". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ Weaver, Paul (3 May 2005). "Murphy pots back to claim his crown". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Crucible century breaks". BBC Sport. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- ^ Yates, Phil (7 October 2005). "Ruthless Murphy enjoys going from David to Goliath". London: The Times. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ Yates, Phil (3 May 2005). "Murphy savours his long road to glory". London: The Times. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b c d "UK Championship 2007: Shaun Murphy". BBC Sport. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ a b Townsend, Nick (16 April 2006). "Snooker: Emotional year for long journey man". London: The Independent. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b c O'Shea, Gary; Dillon, Andy (18 October 2008). "Snooker ace splits from wife". The Sun. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Embassy World Rankings 2005/2006". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ Harris, Nick (4 May 2005). "Snooker: Murphy starts new journey as old era goes up in smoke". London: The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
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(help) - ^ "2005 (Winter) Results – 04/12/2005". Premier League Snooker. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ "Robertson comeback sinks Murphy". BBC Sport. 19 August 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ a b Everton, Clive (14 October 2005). "Murphy blasts outside table after losing to Bingham". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Vintage Davis into quarter-finals". BBC Sport. 14 December 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Higgins overcomes illness to win". BBC Sport. 2 February 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Pot Black returns". BBC Sport. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "Stevens wins Pot Black comeback". BBC Sport. 29 October 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "County triumphs at Sports' Awards". BBC Northamptonshire. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "Higgins sinks Murphy at Wembley". BBC Sport. 20 January 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ "Lee eases to Welsh Open victory". BBC Sport. 5 March 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- ^ Dee, John (15 April 2006). "Snooker: Murphy aiming to exorcise the Crucible curse". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Full World Championship results". BBC Sport. 2 May 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ "Embassy World Rankings 2006/2007". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "Speedy O'Sullivan into last four". BBC Sport. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "UK Championship draw & results". BBC Sport. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
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(help) - ^ Everton, Clive (22 December 2008). "Murphy rides luck to snatch UK title with fluke pink in last frame". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ "China Open draw and results". BBC Sport. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Euro Players Tour Championship 1 Drawsheet". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b "Higginson Revelling in Spotlight". Sporting Life. 17 February 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Williams crashes out". BBC Sport. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
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- ^ For his father being a former professional golfer, see Simon, Jane (30 June 1996). "The amazing stories of four boys tipped to become the main men of the next century". The People (via HighBeam Research). Retrieved 23 August 2010.
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(help) - ^ a b "Murphy fightback shocks Stevens". BBC Sport. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
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(help) - ^ a b Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Turner, Chris. "Welsh Open". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ a b Turner, Chris. "Malta Grand Prix, Malta Cup". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ a b Turner, Chris. "Major Snooker Events in China". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archvie. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Turner, Chris. "UK Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Turner, Chris. "PTC". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archvie. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Turner, Chris. "UK Tour, Challenge Tour". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ Turner, Chris. "Benson & Hedges Championship, Masters Qualifying Tournament". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
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- ^ a b c Turner, Chris. "Premier / Matchroom League". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archvie. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Turner, Chris. "World Series of Snooker". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Paul Hunter Classic History". Global Snooker. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
External links
- "Official player profile of Shaun Murphy". wst.tv. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. "Tour Players" section. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- Profile at Global Snooker
- Profile at Pro Snooker Blog
- Official website
- Official website
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