Shaun Murphy believes he is well-placed to become a multiple world snooker champion after cruising through this year’s first round with a 10-4 win over qualifier Daniel Wells.
The 42-year-old admitted he felt his days of contending for major titles were numbered after a decade-long ‘triple crown’ drought that followed his first Masters title win in 2015.
Murphy credits his link-up with another former champion, Peter Ebdon, with sparking an impressive mid-career revival that culminated in him sweeping to his second triumph at Alexandra Palace at the start of this year.
MURPHY SECURES A DOMINANT WIN!
— WST (@WeAreWST) April 23, 2025
The Magician defeats Daniel Wells in the opening round in Sheffield, hitting three centuries!#HaloWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/qlfepOlfr0
Murphy said: “The hunger and desire never goes anywhere, but sometimes you can just lose your way in life and sport and certainly working with Peter has helped me refocus on the things that make a difference.
“Champions don’t think like everyone else, and I think for a little while I’d started to think like everyone else. I’d forgotten what it was like to win the big ones, and thought I’d become a bit of a draw-filler in the majors.
“As far as the big tournaments were concerned, I thought those days were gone. But winning the Masters and my work with Peter has totally changed that. I’ve had a complete 180. Whether it works this week or not, I don’t know, but I believe again and I think that makes me dangerous.”
Murphy, who won his world title as a qualifier in 2005, was close to his flamboyant best against Wells, a Crucible debutant who far from disgraced himself as he hit three centuries including a nerveless clearance of 131 in the second frame of the match.
Murphy fashioned a 7-2 overnight lead and despite taking the opening frame of the day he was denied a swift finish by consecutive knocks of 115 and 68 from Wells.
A clearance of 133 in the 13th frame – Murphy’s third hundred in a high-quality clash that yielded a total of 14 half-centuries or better – nudged him closer to the finish line, and a subsequent 71 finished the job and set up a last 16 meeting with either Judd Trump or Zhou Yuelong.
