Shaun Murphy made it difficult after building a four-frame lead, but he prevailed 6-3 and guaranteed a berth in the 2024 Masters semifinals by fending off a valiant challenge from Jack Lisowski. Murphy defeated seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan to secure his spot in the last four with a superb long pot in the black-ball decider.
For the first time since 2020, Shaun Murphy advanced to the Masters final four on Thursday night with a 6-3 victory over Jack Lisowski.
As ‘The Magician’ attempts to win a second Masters title, the world No. 7 will take on Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, ‘The Rocket’ proceeded with his attempt to win an eighth Masters title upon defeating Barry Hawkins
The 41-year-old, who won the Masters in 2015, acknowledged that he has recently let his game to wane but has drawn motivation from the seven-time World Champion to keep it going.
Murphy told Eurosport, “I’ve been very guilty. Even with winning tournaments—I won three last year—I’ve been slipping into second or third gear.” “I took my time and was extremely cautious.” I got caught up in examining things for much too long.We’ve all been practicing for countless hours since we were young, and I’ve saved every shot. I’m aware of the play to make. It is not necessary for me to scan the table four times.Observe O’Sullivan; he effortlessly handles tasks and possesses a keen sense of judgment. Everything is known to us. You just slow down because of your anxiousness and need to be flawless, and ultimately, I don’t think it helps.
Murphy was cruising 5-1 in his quarter-final encounter with Lisowski at one stage and opened the contest in scorching manner, sinking an eight-minute break of 75 to capture the opening frame.
Murphy completed a break of 131 in only 51 minutes, leading 3-1 at the halfway point of the session.
‘Jackpot’ cut the deficit to two frames, 5-3, but Murphy didn’t appear to be under much pressure. He claimed that his “newfound desire” to play faster and more aggressively enabled him to finish the game.
“I believe I won the first frame off the break-off early in the match, and we both had opportunities in the second frame. He put me to the sword sharply a couple of times out,” he remarked. “The British Open match even reached the final, but it was strictly a one-visit event.”I reasoned that since he was only human, “Maybe he’s not quite at the peak of his powers today” when I saw in the first picture that he didn’t clear up in one hit. He has the ability to simply sit there and blow you away.
“That was the situation in our previous two meetings, but I think that my decision to play the way I used to, and my renewed desire to do so, really got the balls on my side. I’m not sure if those two things are related.”I went through a phase where I was being bold but foolish between the middle of the 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s. I’m not stupid anymore, and I know when to control myself, but naturally, everyone likes to be aggressive.
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