Shaun Murphy was back on the OneFourSeven Podcast on Thursday, offering his reaction to Judgement Day and the World Snooker Championship draw.
The Magician will play Lyu Haotian in the first round on Sunday and Monday in what will be his 22nd appearance at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The 2005 world champion has been defeated in the last 32 in both of his last two visits, but he’s hoping to end what has been a disappointing season on a high.
“I suppose I’ve been doing this for so long that your reactions stay fairly middle of the road,” Shaun Murphy told co-host Phil Seymour on the OneFourSeven Podcast.
“There’s obviously a couple of grenades that you could have avoided – [Stephen] Maguire was one of them, [Jack] Lisowski another.”
“I’m happy to have avoided those. After that, I mean it’s just take your pick, isn’t it? Lyu Haotian on his day can beat anyone, as can I.
“I’m delighted to still be in the 16 and seeded through, not to have to go through the rigmarole of the qualifiers.
“The other side of that is that the qualifiers who come through are sharp, they’re ready, they’re hungry, they’re at it.
“Like all first rounders, it’s going to be like that first fence at the Grand National.
“I haven’t been involved in the championship the last few years. I got to the final three years ago. I’ve lost in the first round in the last two championships.
“And as Stephen Hendry said on his Cue Tips channel last year, I either seem to have a really deep run to the semis or final, or get bumped out in the first round.
“So I’m hoping that I can buck my recent trend and get out of the first round, get through that melee of the first fence.”
Murphy also offered his reaction to the somewhat bizarre decision to stop the live streaming for Judgement Day on Wednesday night.
The World Snooker Tour had been providing a free service on its YouTube and Facebook channels, which had roving coverage of every table during the final round of qualifiers.
As in previous years, the two-day show fronted by Rob Walker, David Hendon, and Ken Doherty was generally well received by supporters.
Yet fans were left very disappointed when the final match involving Joe O’Connor and Matthew Selt was pulled from air during the decisive moments of their epic encounter at the English Institute of Sport.
“I’ve got no idea who was behind the decision to pull it off and take it off air just as it reached its climactic end,” a vexed Shaun Murphy said.
“It was on for two or three days, Judgement Day, and now they take it off. It was bonkers for me.”
“Somebody who is not really interested in snooker definitely made that decision, I would think.
“It probably wasn’t anyone at World Snooker Tour, that’s for certain. If they are getting any criticism for it, that’s unfair.
“But we’re working in the dark, aren’t we? We’re not sure, we don’t have the full facts. Somebody does, and that person’s just been sacked!
“If you are listening to our podcast, if you are the person who chose to take the snooker off air last night, pack your desk up. You no longer work here,” Murphy joked.
The main stages of the 2024 World Snooker Championship commence on Saturday.
2024 World Snooker Championship Draw
Round 1 (bo19)
Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian
Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) 10-6 Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui
Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-1 Jackson Page
Round 2 (bo25)
David Gilbert 13-4 Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire 13-9 Shaun Murphy (8)
Joe O’Connor 6-13 Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (13) 13-12 Mark Allen (4)
Judd Trump (3) 13-7 Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones 13-9 Si Jiahui
Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day 7-13 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Quarter-Finals (bo25)
David Gilbert 13-8 Stephen Maguire
Kyren Wilson (12) 13-8 John Higgins (13)
Judd Trump (3) 9-13 Jak Jones
Stuart Bingham 13-10 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Semi-Finals (bo33)
David Gilbert 11-17 Kyren Wilson (12)
Jak Jones 17-12 Stuart Bingham
Final (bo35)
Kyren Wilson (12) 18-14 Jak Jones
Click here for the latest live scores and session times.
Featured photo credit: WST
Can’t tolerate murphy