Shaun Murphy Admits Tactical Blunder in Xi’an Final Defeat — Despite Hitting the Peak of His Career Form
Shaun Murphy has opened up about what went wrong in the Xi’an final, despite arriving in China in arguably the best form of his career. The Englishman had stormed into the final after a remarkable run, highlighted by a stunning 5-0 whitewash of world number two Kyren Wilson — a match in which Wilson didn’t even pot a ball. Confidence was high, but in the final, Murphy ran into Welsh legend Mark Williams, and things quickly unraveled.
Williams dominated from start to finish, sealing a commanding 10-3 victory that left Murphy reflecting on where it had gone wrong. “He was just too good for me,” Murphy told Metro. “He plays a style that I can’t really mix it with. I got my tactics wrong in the first half. I tried to out-wait him, out-patience him, and out-tactic him — but that’s not my game. I should’ve opened the balls more, played on my own terms. If I had done that earlier, maybe the match would’ve gone in a different direction.”
Murphy also admitted that a few uncharacteristic misses in the opening frames set the tone for the defeat. “In the first four or five frames, I missed three or four balls that I hadn’t missed in weeks. You just can’t do that at this level — it’s like shooting your big toe off.”
Despite the disappointment, the 43-year-old remains upbeat and determined. He bounced back immediately at the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, sweeping David Lilley 4-0 in his opening match. Murphy believes he’s currently playing the most consistent snooker of his career. “I don’t think I’ve ever played better over a sustained period. I’ve had flashes before, but now I feel like I’ve found a secret mix — doing the right things and knowing what they are.”
Murphy continues his campaign in Belfast next against Elliot Slessor in the last 32, eager to keep his red-hot form alive.
