Shaun Murphy narrowly missed out on a 147 break during his 6-2 victory over Neil Robertson in the Masters quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace. Murphy, who was on track for a maximum break in the eighth frame, misjudged his shot after potting the black to reach 120. He snookered himself behind the blue, preventing him from completing the break. The 42-year-old, who won the Masters in 2015 by defeating Robertson in the final, expressed his frustration on BBC Two, saying, “I couldn’t breathe! One of my targets for the season was to make a max in one of the triple crown events, and I was like ‘come on, this is a good chance, this is a good chance’. Anywhere but there, goodness me.”
Murphy, still visibly upset, added, “What an idiot! Anywhere but there! I’d love to have another go at that one. I wouldn’t mind but I did that before once, years ago in the Welsh Open against Mark Williams. I did the same thing, exactly the same shot. You’d think I would have learned.” Despite the mishap, Murphy played well throughout the match, making breaks of 90, 67, and 66 to establish a commanding 4-1 lead. Robertson, a two-time Masters champion, responded with a 108 break to take frame six, but Murphy regained control with an 82 break and his near-maximum to seal the win.
Robertson, who praised both players’ performances, said, “I think when two players are playing really well, it’s just the smallest of margins one way or the other that can make the difference, and that’s how it was. I think you just have to take your hat off to Shaun with how well he played today.” Reflecting on Murphy’s near-147, Robertson remarked, “It’s such a bad shot, because even if he leaves himself a shot with the rest on the yellow, he’s so good with the rest that you’d fancy him potting it. I couldn’t believe it. It was a real shame for everyone watching, it would have been really nice to see the 147 here as well. So, gutted for Shaun from that point of view, but I’m sure he’ll be happy with the match.”
Murphy will now face Mark Allen in the semi-finals, after Allen defeated Mark Selby 6-2 in the other quarter-final. Allen, who won the Masters in 2018, demonstrated his strong form after recently claiming the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Selby, who had looked unbeatable in his first-round win over Ali Carter, struggled to replicate his best performance against Allen. Although Selby made a solid 88 break in the second frame, Allen’s consistent play, combined with some fortunate luck, saw him take a 4-1 lead. Allen clinched the sixth frame on the black after a long tactical battle and then finished off Selby’s challenge despite a late response from his opponent.
Allen acknowledged the role of luck in his victory, saying, “I felt I played better than Mark but the luck definitely helped me. It started out like a really good game, the first three frames, and then it got a bit scrappy. We both missed a few shots, but I can definitely say that is the most luck I have ever had in a match in a long time. It’s the first time I have played Mark where I felt I was getting the better on the safety side.”
The Masters quarter-finals will continue with Judd Trump facing Ding Junhui and world champion Kyren Wilson taking on Luca Brecel in the remaining matches.
