Shaun Murphy compared Jack Lisowski to Ronnie O'Sullivan after the Jackpot's record-equalling demolition job in the UK Championship quarter-finals.
Lisowski thrashed Murphy 6-1 with near-flawless snooker in York to set up a tantalising semi-final clash against in-form Mark Allen on Saturday. And the world No.12 matched the record of four consecutive centuries with scintillating breaks of 105, 127, 123 and 100, a feat that has only been achieved by seven other players in professional competition.
The supremely talented left-hander is now just two victories away from his maiden ranking title after years of being the sport's nearly man. Murphy had knocked out Lisowski's close friend Judd Trump in the last round, but was left in his seat in awe as his 31-year-old opponent put on a break-building exhibition at the Barbican Centre.
Lisowski has long been compared to seven-time world champion O'Sullivan, sharing an effortless technique with the 46-year-old who is considered the greatest ever. And Murphy believes only The Rocket can match Lisowski on talent alone given the sheer artistry he can produce on the baize.
"The only person who has the talent and the raw-DNA talent running through their veins to make the game anything like as easy as that is O'Sullivan," Murphy said after defeat. "And if Jack has or does find a way to harness that and is happy to get in the trenches if someone does get on top of him which I was unable to do tonight... if he can marry that with his undeniable talent he will win, and win a lot."
Lisowski has enlisted the help of former world champion Peter Ebdon, who has been brought into his corner as a mentor improve his mental approach as he looks to take his game to the next level and become the complete player.
And Murphy insists Lisowski will be crowned champion in York if he can match talent with a granite temperament over the weekend. "If he can find a way to enhance that talent and refine it into becoming a proper snooker, he's going to need a very very big cabinet because he's going to win a lot of trophies," Murphy added. If he can play with that level of intensity he wins.
"Every time I made a small mistake, I had to sit down and admire the wondrous talent pouring out of this young man that we have seen coming for a long time. Maybe this could be his week. It’s not easy winning, but if he can sustain that for another 16 frames he’ll be UK champion."
O'Sullivan, meanwhile, was whitewashed 6-0 by three-time winner Ding Junhui in a shock quarter-final exit on Friday. The world No.1 had been tipped as red-hot favourite, and has now weighed in on Lisowski's hopes after similarities were made between him and the the Cheltenham-born star.
“He could never look boring if he tried,” O'Sullivan told Eurosport . “You have two ends of the spectrum, the really slow and boring and really exciting. The slow and boring one has to speed up and the really fast one needs to rein it in a little bit. It’s not possible for Jack to not look good.
“A bit like a swan with its legs flapping under the water, that’s what Jack looks like a lot of the time. It looks great, but inside he’s feeling he has to play his best snooker to win when he needs to try and learn to cruise along a bit more."
