UK Championship snooker 2020 - Shaun Murphy grinds out win over Lee Walker in opening round

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Updated 25/11/2020 at 01:14 GMT

It was far from pretty, but Shaun Murphy overcame Lee Walker to reach the second round of the UK Championship. Murphy made the only century of an error-strewn match - a 139 in the fourth frame - and will next face Elliot Slessor or Mitchell Mann.

Shaun Murphy won a gritty first-round contest 6-5 against Lee Walker at the UK Championship.

Both players struggled for consistency, with Murphy’s 139 break in the fourth frame the only century of the match.

Murphy was 4-2 ahead but couldn’t close the match out until well past midnight. He will next face Elliot Slessor or Mitchell Mann.

World Championship

Murphy happy to avoid ‘a couple of grenades’ in World Championship draw

18/04/2024 at 20:27

Murphy won a tight opening frame but Walker replied with a break of 60 to level.

Watch Kyren Wilson's magnificent 147 maximum break in full

A marathon third frame saw some lengthy safety exchanges, with Murphy close to losing the frame after missing a thin cut on the blue on three occasions.

‘He is a devastating player’ – Murphy lavished with praise at UK Championship

Murphy slammed his cue down in frustration after one miss and lost the frame when he potted the white into the middle pocket.

But the world No 7 responded in fine fashion with a 139 break making it 2-2 at the mid-season interval.

He continued to look sharp immediately after the break, firing in a long red to start a decisive break in the fifth frame and then following up with a 72 break to move 4-2 ahead.

‘That is delightful cueing’ – Murphy dispatches pressure pot against Walker

But both players missed straightforward shots in the seventh frame – Walker a red to the corner and Murphy a straight black – and Murphy saw his lead cut.

• Wilson hits superb 147 in opening match
• UK Championship 2020: Draw, schedule, results

Neither played looked on top form as the standard dropped and Murphy needed a slice of luck to keep a break going as a red clipped the blue and diverted into the pocket.

Murphy won another scrappy frame to move closer to victory but then, with the finish line in sight in the eighth frame, missed a red to the middle. Walker cleared up the reds and won a battle on the pink to move just a frame behind.

And, with midnight come and gone, Walker dispatched a pink after a lengthy safety exchange to send the match to a decider that Murphy sealed courtesy of multiple visits.

Chris Wakelin breezed through with a 6-0 win over Louis Heathcote while Oliver Lines won 6-4 against Gary Wilson.

World Championship

Why O'Sullivan could face Crucible minefield in quest for record eighth world title

04/04/2024 at 21:34

Snooker

'You wouldn’t see that at a normal tournament' - Fu on O'Sullivan v Trump exhibition

27/03/2024 at 08:47

Snooker

'He's done amazing to come back' – Knowles explains why O'Sullivan hasn't quit sport

25/03/2024 at 18:36