Xiao Guodong (Photo By DerHexer)
Shaun Murphy produced the best performance of this year’s World Snooker Championship so far as he fired four centuries in a 13-3 thrashing of Xiao Guodong to become the first man into the quarter-finals.
Two-time ranking event winner Guodong, ranked ninth in the world, was expected to provide a tough test for the 2005 Crucible king, but in fact the tie turned into a procession as Murphy took an early 5-0 lead and went on to reach 13 frames without the need for a concluding session this evening.
Instead, Murphy will have the chance to go home and rest for a few days before his last-eight clash with Ding Junhui or defending champion Zhao Xintong gets underway on Tuesday. World number eight Murphy is into the quarter-finals for the tenth time in all and only the second time since 2015.
In his opening match against Fan Zhengyi, 43-year-old Murphy was only a few balls from defeat but in the deciding frame he made what he described as his best ever break, a 50 clearance to win 10-9. Carrying that confidence into this fixture with Guodong, Murphy showed the form which won him the Masters last season and the British Open earlier this term.
He led 6-2 after the first session with top breaks of 79, 103, 63, 64 and 61. China’s Guodong was first among the balls in the opening frame today but made just 17 before running out of position and his opponent took it with runs of 43 and 21. In frame ten, Guodong was on 21 when he missed a routine pink to a top corner and again that proved costly as Murphy’s 93 made it 8-2.
Once again in the 11th, Guodong had a chance to gain some momentum, but on a run of 15 with the balls well placed he missed the pink to a centre pocket and soon found himself further behind as Murphy capitalised with 66. Two-time Wuhan Open champion Guodong finally got a frame on the board with a run of 74 in the 12th, but Murphy responded with a 103 for 10-3.
In frame 14, Guodong was on 55 when he undercut a tricky red to centre, and Murphy cleared superbly with 69. The Englishman finished in style with 115 and 103 in the last two frames, taking his tally of centuries for the season to a career high of 59.
“It’s the dream, to play like that, especially here where it matters most,” said Murphy, who is playing at the Crucible for the 24th time. “All the event are big, but this one is massive. Xiao is a very classy player and I knew I would have to be on it from the start. In the back of my mind today I knew I could win it in this session and that helps because I can have more time at home. In my snooker room I can choose whether I want to practise for an hour or ten hours a day and I’ll also be watching Ding and Zhao battle it out.
“I was handed a lifeline when I beat Fan and I don’t want to waste it. I know that my opportunities here won’t come forever and when they do arrive I have to snatch them. I am very proud of my Crucible record and hopefully I’ll be coming here for a few years to come.”
Guodong said: “I’m sorry that I couldn’t take it to a third session. Shaun is a very good player. I am sad that I missed a lot of balls. It’s ok, I’ll be back next season.”
Hawkins Grinds Out Lead Over Williams
Barry Hawkins got the better of Mark Williams in a hard fought second session of their round two clash emerging 10-6 in front ahead.
2013 runner-up Hawkins hasn’t won a match at the Crucible in the last three years, but returned to form on the sport’s biggest stage with a 10-4 defeat of Matthew Stevens in the opening round.
Three-time Crucible king Williams went on a tremendous run to last year’s final, where he was beaten by Zhao Xintong. He will need to win seven of the nine frames in tomorrow’s concluding session to remain in contention this year.
They came into the evening locked level at 4-4 and a break of 63 from Hawkins saw him hit the front at 5-4. Despite trailing 61-0 in the next, he then doubled his cushion by crafting 66 to steal on the black. A fine 113 break then moved the Englishman 7-4 ahead.
Welshman Williams reduced his arrears by winning the 12th, before Hawkins moved three ahead again at 8-5. A marathon frame 14 lasted over an hour before Hawkins clinched it to move 9-5 in front.
The 15th looked to be going the way of Hawkins before a superb clearance of 54 allowed Williams to steal by a single point and make it 9-6. However, the Hawk cracked in a long red in the last of the night and made 89 to end 10-6 up.
