Shaun Murphy ends Zhao Xintong’s World Championship defence
Shaun Murphy has ended Zhao Xintong’s World Championship defence, defeating the reigning champion 13-10 in the quarter-finals at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, reports BritPanorama.
Zhao, nicknamed the Cyclone, entered as the pre-tournament favourite despite being ranked fourth in the world. The 29-year-old had enjoyed an outstanding season, claiming three ranking titles plus a non-ranking event in Saudi Arabia.
Murphy, who claimed the world title in 2005, now joins snooker legends including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and John Higgins among those who have fallen victim to the infamous Crucible curse. The result means Zhao becomes the 21st consecutive first-time winner unable to defend their title since the tournament relocated to the venue in 1977.
The defending champion appeared in complete control early on, racing to a 3-0 advantage with a stunning 122 break in the opening frame. However, Murphy responded emphatically, winning five consecutive frames to take the lead by the end of the first session.
Tuesday evening’s second session proved tightly contested, with Zhao edging it to bring the scores level at 8-8 heading into Wednesday afternoon. The Magician then produced a devastating final session, compiling breaks of 96, 80 and 70 to move within one frame of victory at 12-9.
Zhao fought back with an 81 break, but Murphy sealed the win with a 69 break before closing out the match. Six-time world champion Steve Davis hailed Murphy’s performance in the decisive session, describing it as “nigh on the perfect session. A super human performance.”
Murphy explained his tactical approach to BBC Two, saying, “The difference this session is that he left me a few where I could go for it with freedom, and there was no penalty to missing it, whereas I was trying to leave him a problem.” He also revealed he had deliberately avoided watching snooker coverage during the tournament, instead binge-watching Below Deck with his partner Joe to maintain focus.
Murphy’s victory marks his first semi-final appearance since 2021 and only his second since reaching the 2015 final. His opponent will be determined this evening when John Higgins faces Neil Robertson, with the Australian currently holding a 9-7 advantage after two sessions.
On the opposite side of the draw, Mark Allen has already secured his semi-final berth following a 13-11 victory over Barry Hawkins earlier today. Allen will meet either Hossein Vafaei or Wu Yize, with both players seeking their maiden Crucible semi-final appearance when their quarter-final concludes tonight.
In many ways, this match encapsulates the unpredictability of snooker — where past triumphs mean little in the crucible of competition. Murphy’s tactical nous and Zhao’s early momentum collided in a way that reminds us just how fine the margins are at this elite level.
