Shaun Murphy crashed out of Championship League Snooker with zero points on Tuesday in Leicester.
The champion two years ago displayed plenty of rust in his first outing back for the 2025/26 campaign.
Murphy was beaten 3-1 by Alfie Burden in his opening fixture and suffered similar losses to both Robbie McGuigan and Bulcsu Revesz after.
Burden, participating as a top-up amateur player having lost his tour card at the end of last season, ended up winning Group 3.
A tight round-robin phase saw Burden, McGuigan, and Revesz all finish on six points upon winning two and losing one of their three matches.
But the world seniors champion’s slightly superior frame difference to the other two was the determining factor.
It was much more straightforward in Group 22 where Matthew Selt comfortably advanced in the competition with a 100% record.
The Englishman orchestrated a hat-trick of 3-1 success to secure nine points and eliminate Scott Donaldson, Umut Dikme, and Fergal Quinn.
Burden and Selt join Stephen Maguire and Yao Pengcheng who managed to make it through to Stage Two on Monday’s opening day of play.
Before the next phase of the ranking event can take place, there are 28 more groups in Stage One at the Mattioli Arena.
On Wednesday, it’ll be a battle of Welsh and Chinese players in Group 25 as Ryan Day, Matthew Stevens, Xu Yichen, and Lan Yuhao lock horns.
Yuan Sijun fronts Group 18 alongside Sanderson Lam, Alexander Ursenbacher, and Stuart Carrington.
Championship League Snooker represents the opening ranking event of the fledgling 2025/26 snooker season.
The overall winner on July 23rd will take home ยฃ33,000 worth of prize money and ranking points, plus a ticket to the lucrative Champion of Champions invitational later this year.
Tuesday’s Results
Group 3
Alfie Burden 3-1 Shaun Murphy
Bulcsu Revesz 3-1 Robbie McGuigan
Alfie Burden 3-0 Bulcsu Revesz
Robbie McGuigan 3-1 Shaun Murphy
Robbie McGuigan 3-1 Alfie Burden
Bulcsu Revesz 3-1 Shaun Murphy
Table
1. Alfie Burden – 6 points
2. Robbie McGuigan – 6 points
3. Bulcsu Revesz – 6 points
4. Shaun Murphy – 0 points
Group 22
Matthew Selt 3-1 Umut Dikme
Scott Donaldson 3-1 Fergal Quinn
Scott Donaldson 2-2 Umut Dikme
Matthew Selt 3-1 Fergal Quinn
Umut Dikme 3-0 Fergal Quinn
Matthew Selt 3-1 Scott Donaldson
Table
1. Matthew Selt – 9 points
2. Umut Dikme – 4 points
3. Scott Donaldson – 4 points
4. Fergal Quinn – 0 points
Featured photo credit: WST
McGuigan finished with successive centuries in defeating Murphy.
I love the snooker. Is it on tv on 23rd July?
If you are in Ireland or the UK, you can watch it live on the Matchroom Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels.
The magician: the player who enchants every opponent to play their A game against him.