World Snooker Championship: Shaun Murphy shows amazing sportsmanship over re-spot against Judd Trump
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Updated 28/04/2021 at 16:55 GMT
Former world champion Shaun Murphy made "his own life tougher" in very impressive fashion as he showed remarkable sportsmanship during his match against Judd Trump at the World Snooker Championship. The stakes could not have been much higher at a crucial moment in a world quarter-final, but Murphy still made sure the referee did not make a re-spot unfairly kind to him.
Murphy shows amazing sportsmanship over re-spot against Trump
Shaun Murphy demonstrated some amazing sportsmanship during his World Snooker Championship quarter-final against Judd Trump on Wednesday.
The 2005 world champion was locked in a safety battle near the start of the 14th frame against the world number one when a foul on a snooker in behind the green led to a re-spot.
As the referee attempted to judge exactly where to place the cue ball just outside the D, Murphy was overheard insisting to the official that the placement was actually unfairly easy for him.
Instead of trying to get the best possible re-spot of the cue ball to enable him to get out of the tricky snooker, the 38-year-old attempted to make his life harder by asking for a more difficult re-spot.
Eurosport commentator Phil Yates explained: "What Murphy said there, if you didn't hear him, was 'It was a little more difficult than that'.
So he was making his own life tougher. Again, yet another display of sportsmanship.
Murphy's honestly backfired as he again missed the reds with his second attempt, before eventually taking no risks and striking them in such a way as to unfortunately open things up for his opponent.
It is not the first demonstration of superb sportsmanship at the tournament in recent days, with David Gilbert showing similar character against Trump earlier in the tournament in Sheffield.
Trump was in trouble after being put in a snooker by his opponent. He failed to make contact with the object ball, and as the white ball careered around the table, Gilbert told referee Paul Collier to put it back.
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However, the white ball dropped into a pocket and it would have left Gilbert with an easy red - with cue ball in hand in the D. Gilbert was within his rights to change his mind and play from the D, but he told Collier that his initial decision should stand.
The decision kept Trump in the frame and he took full advantage as he got the snookers he required and went on to win on the black.
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