'Man of my word!' - Shaun Murphy to attempt moonwalk to chair after reaching final, delighted for chance to end drought
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Updated 19/02/2023 at 08:55 GMT
It's been a long time between ranking final appearances for Shaun Murphy, and an even longer one since his last title. One of those streaks is now broken after Murphy beat Pang Junxu to reach the Welsh Open Final. The other goes on the line on Sunday against Robert Milkins, an opponent that the Englishman knows well. He also said he will live up to his promise to moonwalk to his chair.
'This was a big night for me' - Murphy reacts to reaching Welsh Open final
Shaun Murphy remains firmly set on breaking his ranking title drought after beating Pang Junxu to reach the Welsh Open Final in Llandudno.
The Magician has reached his 23rd career ranking final with the victory over his Chinese rival, and his first since 2021.
After closing out a 6-3 win over Pang, and outspoken as ever, Murphy spoke to the media.
He said: "It wasn’t a great performance, neither of us played well. The importance of the occasion got to us. I let him dictate the style of play and if it hadn’t been for the words of my assistant Robert Murphy during the interval, I wouldn’t have won that game."
But win it he did, and Murphy will now face Robert Milkins with an £80,000 prize pot on the line.
Murphy was delighted to end his long streak without reaching a final.
He said: “I have been on a bleak run in the last couple of seasons so I am over the moon to be back in another final. We spend a lot of time away from our kids and families but we never give up and I have been working very hard on my game. This has been coming all season, I have been playing well. In the club I have been grafting, working on my weaknesses and watching my matches back to see where things have gone wrong. I feel I may have turned a corner.”
Speaking in the Eurosport studio later, Murphy provided more context.
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'This was a big night for me' - Murphy reacts to reaching Welsh Open final
He added: “It probably got to me if anything, that was a big night for me. When you’re one of the big four or five names, you’re in semis and finals all the time. That hasn’t been my career the last few seasons."
He added that the win was really a significant one for his career.
He said: "For me, I lost in the semis at the World Grand Prix, semis at the Turkish [Masters] and apart from that it’s been such a quiet few seasons. Tonight meant so much and I probably let it get to me a little bit.”
Eurosport pundit Jimmy White was circumspect after Murphy's victory.
He said: "He [White] was lucky to have won 6-3."
But White also took time to praise Murphy's play and judged him the favourite to claim the title.
He said: "He's won so many tournaments. These other guys have not won tournaments. He's had a 147 this week and he's back to form. Rob Milkins can beat Shaun Murphy tomorrow but he needs to play his best game."
The subject of Murphy's final drought has often been raised, with the world no. 11 going so far as to promise to moonwalk to the table if he should reach a final.
He made the promise on the onefourseven podcast earlier in the season.
After beating Pang, he confirmed: “I am a man of my word and I will be trying to moonwalk to my chair tomorrow.”
Murphy has been enjoying himself at the Welsh Open. He told reporters that he felt like "Neo from the Matrix" after beating Daniel Wells during the week.
Murphy previously faced off with Milkins in the final of the 2014 Ruhr Open, which he won 4-0.
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