Shaun Murphy powered into the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Snooker Championship with a session to spare after thrashing Xiao Guodong 13-3 on Friday.
The Magician only just escaped unscathed from the first round after edging a titanic tussle with Fan Zhengyi on the final pink in a deciding frame.
It was a very different story against another Chinese competitor in round two in Sheffield, with Murphy dominating from the offset for a resounding triumph.
“I’m delighted,” Shaun Murphy said on the BBC. “You go into a session like that having not broken the back of the match but with a great lead at 6-2.”
“The last frame of the first session was massive yesterday. You know, mathematically it’s possible to win with a session to spare, but you don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“I kept getting those little chances, and I’m really pleased with how I played. I’m delighted, it doesn’t happen often.
“Everybody is so good, so it’s very rare. I’m thrilled with it, and we’re going to ship out of Sheffield now and go home for a few days.
“I’ve got my practice table at home – I can do as much as I want instead of having to dodge in for half an hour at the Crucible.
“I’ve got my table at home, and I can spend the next few days getting ready for what’s going to be a big game.”
Murphy, buoyed by the 50 clearance to beat Fan that he called his best ever break at the Crucible, raced into a 5-0 lead against Xiao that essentially broke the back of the contest.
Xiao did manage to get on the scoreboard by taking the following two frames and had an opportunity to end the opening session just a couple behind.
But much like the rest of the match, the reigning Wuhan Open champion scored terribly when in among the balls, and Murphy generally punished him.
It was more of the same after the pair returned for the second session, and if anything, Murphy’s standard of play got even better as the winning line came into sight.
The British Open champion compiled a hat-trick of century breaks in the last four frames to complete the one-sided win and continue his pursuit of a first world title since 2005.
“Listen, it’s been 21 years since that totally clueless 22 year-old kid walked in here and nicked the trophy from everybody,” Murphy said.
“I’ve come back every year trying my hardest to repeat that magic. I’ve not been able to, and it’s not been for the lack of trying.”
“But who knows? I’m now through to the last eight. I’m going to enjoy watching Ding and Xintong battle it out from the safety of my house.
“I’ll see who comes through that. I mean it’ll be a great match whoever comes through it.
“That’s how I’ve been playing all season if I’m being totally honest.
“I had a week where nothing went against me in Cheltenham, where I didn’t walk into any superheroes and I won the British Open.
“Every other week, someone has played out of their boots to stop me.
“I got out of jail in the first round, and you could make an argument that I shouldn’t even be sat here but for that clearance.
“And as I say, I respect Guodong so much – he is such an elegant player and a lovely player to watch. You know that if you don’t play your best, especially out there, then you’re going to get taken.
“So I was on it from the first ball.”
Murphy can rest up until Tuesday when he will be back at the Crucible for a quarter-final tie against either Zhao Xintong or Ding Junhui.
Reigning world champion Zhao encounters his hero Ding in a blockbuster all-Chinese showdown across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Sheffield.
Featured image credit: WST
To me, a WST event has a different feel when Murphy is playing well — his memorable win in 2005, where he looked like a cherubic kid who didn’t need to shave, was the first WC final I followed closely, watching almost all of it.