Shaun Murphy
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Shaun Murphy responds to Kyren Wilson post-final gibes

Shaun Murphy has offered his views on the comments made by Kyren Wilson in the immediate aftermath of their Masters final on Sunday.

The Magician beat Wilson 10-7 at the Alexandra Palace in London to claim a second career Masters crown and a fourth Triple Crown title.

Murphy, who was never behind in the contest, was a deserving champion and compiled an impressive tally of four century breaks – including one in the final frame to complete the triumph in style.

The two finalists were interviewed immediately after the last shots were taken for the trophy presentation inside the arena.

And the reigning world champion came in for strong criticism on social media after making a couple of strange comments at the expense of his opponent.

“No disrespect to Shaun, but he has turned into an old man so he needs this more than me,” 33 year-old Wilson said of 42 year-old Murphy.

The Kettering cueist also, somewhat peculiarly, expressed his belief that other players on the tour are envious of his stable family life.

Judd Trump, who lost to Wilson in the semi-finals and who is competing in the Championship League this week in Leicester, told Metro Sport: “I think the first thing everybody said at the Championship League was: ‘Did you watch that?’ I don’t think he particularly put himself in good light.”

Murphy, who pocketed ยฃ350,000 for winning the prestigious invitational, has now given his own reaction on the latest episode of his podcast.

“I’ve seen a lot of talk about it as well,” Shaun Murphy told co-host Phil Seymour on the OneFourSeven Snooker Podcast.

“Certainly on my social pages, there has been a lot of chatter about it. I think Kyren conducts himself well as a world champion.”

“I think he carries that mantle of expectancy, the weight of expectancy from the sport. I think he gives back, he gets involved in everything he’s asked to.

“I think he’s a really good world champion and a good role model. I think he does very well.

“There was a couple of things he said in the post-match questions, which were either slightly unnecessary or maybe said in the wrong way.

“But before we carry on, I will just say this. You have to put yourself in his shoes for a minute – he’s gutted, and your emotions are so high.

“Literally seconds after a loss, it’s a big match for us both. To have a microphone shoved in your face straight away, it’s a difficult place to be to make sure that you say the right thing at all times.

“He perhaps has been unfairly picked on the last few days, but yeah, there were a couple of little strange things in there.

“But listen, it’s water off a duck’s bath. I think when you give as much out as I give, you have to be able to take a little back. I’ve got very broad shoulders.”

Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy also made a 147 break in the 2025 Masters. Photo credit: WST

Murphy also spoke in detail about the positive effect that new coach Peter Ebdon has had on his game.

The latter’s stock as a coach had fallen following an unsuccessful partnership with Jack Lisowski, but the 2002 world champion has proven his worth by helping to inspire Murphy’s first victory at a Triple Crown tournament in ten years.

“I must give Peter Ebdon credit,” Shaun Murphy said. “I’ve spoken very openly about Peter in the last few days in the press and in the media and stuff.”

“We’re three events in. We got to the quarters at York, Lei Peifan put us to bed in Edinburgh, and I’ve won the Masters. So one in three is a pretty decent hit rate.

“I think there’s definitely an element of the help that I need will be different to the help that Jack [Lisowski] needs.

“It will be different to the help that the other players who Peter works with will need as well. I know he currently works with Ross Muir and Sanderson Lam.

“He’ll be giving us all different advice, because we’re all different. We’ve all got different needs, strengths, and weaknesses.

“I always believed, and this is all the way through my career, that one of the things I was missing was having somebody in my corner who’d been out there and been to war themselves.

“I’ve never had that. All the way back to – in the very, very early days – my dad, who was a good club snooker player but has never been out there and played professional snooker.

“To Steve Prest, who was coaching me when I won the world title. Obviously, we reached the summit and got to Everest together. We reached the top.

“But he had never been out there and done it at pro level. You fast forward all the different people that I’ve worked with – they’re all great guys in their own way.

“You just get to the stage where you get that partnership with somebody like Peter Ebdon, who isn’t the most advanced or well-versed technician in terms of offering technical advice.

“But in terms of knowing what to say at the right time in the dressing room or in the morning of a match, just knowing how to get you out of jovial ‘yeah this is a great day’ mode to ‘now it’s game time.’

“Just having somebody who knows what it feels like and has the trophies at home as well, and also knowing that sometimes the best advice is to say nothing at all.

“Having somebody like that in my corner is something I’ve always thought that I could do with. It’s always a piece that I felt was missing.

“I don’t mean that disrespectfully to anyone that I’ve worked with before, because everyone has been brilliant. They’ve all given me something.

“But I’ve never had that, and I feel as if my puzzle is completed.

“In the very early days, I said to Peter that I thought I’d gone a bit soft. He just totally agreed, and that’s something you could never accuse Peter Ebdon of.

“He was hard. When you drew Peter Ebdon in a match, you knew you were in for war.

“It wasn’t just going to be a tough game. It was war, from the minute the day started. If you saw him around the venue, he would blank you.

“He was trying to beat you from the moment the draw was made – very [Ray] Reardon-esque actually. Reardon was the same.

“So that was point number one, that I’d gone too soft. This isn’t a week out, that’s not what we’re here for so let’s change that.”

Shaun Murphy will be back in action at next week’s German Masters at the Tempodrom in Berlin.

Featured photo credit: WST

3 Comments

  1. The first comment Kyren made about Murphy’s age was clearly a joke and the Magician found it amusing. He was complimentary about how Shaun played. The comment regarding his family life was odd and a little cocky. Murphy is right to point out that Wilson is smarting after a painful loss.

  2. Brian Jordan

    How much do the spectators pay to watch the snooker in average this country and say, Saudi.

  3. Daniel White

    A good final in the end, some testing moments for the champion. Excellent of course for Shaun Murphy fans!
    The comments are usually utterly awkward as far as I’m concerned anyway.

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