Shaun Murphy reached the last 32 of the 2025 English Open after producing an incredible display on Monday to thump Zak Surety.
The Magician waved his wand in spectacular fashion, compiling breaks of 125, 135, and 133 in the process.
In total, Murphy amassed 457 unanswered points in a 4-0 victory where his hapless opponent could only muster eight.
It’s a timely strong outing from the reigning Masters champion, who recently dropped outside the top 16 for the first time in 19 years.
“I’m delighted with the performance,” Shaun Murphy, who has bizarrely never reached the quarter-finals of the English Open, told the World Snooker Tour.
“These tournaments are important, and I’ve just dropped out of the top 16 for the first time since 2005/06.”
“So I’m on that climb back up into the game’s elite, I’m trying my best. I’ve been practicing very hard.
“After my last recent defeats, I’ve been saying that my game is in good shape. I think I proved it is.
“I just need the stars to align, whether it’s this week or next week or the week after, I really believe that something good is just around the corner.
“I suppose one of the negatives of me having a broadcasting career is that I am aware of these types of things (regarding the scoring statistics).
“Not necessarily to the ‘nth’ degree but I’m aware that winning 4-0 without my opponent scoring a point – with potentially four centuries – is special.
“It’s just the performance that you dream of, you know?
“When you’re practicing away for all those hours, you dream of going out into a big arena with a great crowd like tonight and playing like that.
“For all the ropy matches I’ve had over the years, I’m delighted with that performance.”
Murphy will face Fan Zhengyi for a spot in the last 16 at the Brentwood Centre after the Chinese potter ousted David Gilbert with a 4-2 scoreline.
Elsewhere, there were victories for a lot of the other heavy hitters in action with Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, and Mark Selby all progressing.
However, there was a notable upset with this season’s Shanghai Masters champion Kyren Wilson exiting the running at his opening hurdle.
The world number two compiled breaks of 108 and 73 but was dumped out of the event in a 4-2 reverse to Robbie Williams.
Among the others to continue their challenges for the Steve Davis Trophy were Barry Hawkins, Si Jiahui, and Luca Brecel.
The latter emerged from a tight tussle with Hossein Vafaei in a tense deciding frame, while Hawkins and Si earned respective 4-2 triumphs over Louis Heathcote and Liu Hongyu.
Last year’s finalist Wu Yize was another player to extend his stay in the tournament thanks to a 4-1 success over He Guoqiang.
The round of 64 concludes on Tuesday with the likes of world champion Zhao Xintong, reigning English Open winner Neil Robertson, and world number one Judd Trump entering the fray.
2025 English Open Draw
Round of 64 (bo7)
Neil Robertson vs Sunny Akani
Jackson Page vs Zhao Hanyang
Shaun Murphy 4-0 Zak Surety
David Gilbert 2-4 Fan Zhengyi
Wu Yize 4-1 He Guoqiang
Chris Wakelin 4-1 Ross Muir
Lei Peifan 4-1 Ryan Day
Mark Selby 4-1 Liam Highfield
Mark Williams 4-0 Amir Sarkhosh
Zhou Yuelong 4-1 Xu Si
Barry Hawkins 4-2 Louis Heathcote
Tom Ford 4-3 Martin O’Donnell
Hossein Vafaei 3-4 Luca Brecel
Si Jiahui 4-2 Liu Hongyu
Pang Junxu 4-3 Daniel Wells
Kyren Wilson 2-4 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump vs Michael Holt
Yuan Sijun vs Ben Woollaston
Gary Wilson vs Sanderson Lam
Elliot Slessor vs Jimmy Robertson
Stuart Bingham vs Dylan Emery
Mark Allen vs Scott Donaldson
Matthew Selt 4-2 Liam Davies
Ding Junhui 4-1 Liam Pullen
Xiao Guodong vs Gong Chenzhi
Joe O’Connor vs Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda vs Anthony McGill
Jak Jones vs Jamie Jones
Stephen Maguire vs Aaron Hill
Ali Carter vs Marco Fu
Jack Lisowski vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhao Xintong vs Ishpreet Singh Chadha
Round of 32 (bo7)
N. Robertson/Akani vs Page/Zhao H.
Shaun Murphy vs Fan Zhengyi
Wu Yize vs Chris Wakelin
Lei Peifan vs Mark Selby
Mark Williams vs Zhou Yuelong
Barry Hawkins vs Tom Ford
Luca Brecel vs Si Jiahui
Pang Junxu vs Robbie Williams
Trump/Holt vs Yuan/Woollaston
G. Wilson/Lam vs Slessor/J. Robertson
Bingham/Emery vs Allen/Donaldson
Matthew Selt vs Ding Junhui
Xiao/Gong vs O’Connor/Walden
Zhang/McGill vs Jak Jones/Jamie Jones
Maguire/Hill vs Carter/Fu
Lisowski/Un-Nooh vs Zhao X./Chadha
Click here for the updated results (snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST
Magical stuff and continuing his resurgence. It will be interesting to see if he is in one of his purple patches of form again, where whoever his opponent is becomes largely unimportant, or if a more threatening adversary will get in a bit and break his flow, add pressure to his game and be a more serious challenge to his progression. If he’s entering one of his purple patches he should be tournament fav already!