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Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy adds the finishing touches to his convincing win over Barry Hawkins in the world championship semi-final at the Crucible. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA
Shaun Murphy adds the finishing touches to his convincing win over Barry Hawkins in the world championship semi-final at the Crucible. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

Shaun Murphy eases past Barry Hawkins and into Crucible final

This article is more than 8 years old
Murphy beats Barry Hawkins 17-9 to reach third final
2005 world champion says this is best he has ever played

Shaun Murphy marched into the world championship final after a 17-9 semi-final victory over Barry Hawkins and hailed the Crucible as his theatre of dreams. The Manchester United fan is within sight of winning snooker’s biggest prize for a second time and while United’s Old Trafford home is nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams, for Murphy the 980-seat Sheffield venue that each year stages snooker’s most important tournament is sport’s ultimate stage.

The world champion of 2005, and runner-up in 2009, said: “I’m just so lucky I’m getting to live my dreams. As a child I came here to watch the championships for the first time in 1992, and dreamt of walking out here playing, so to walk out in a final for the third time is something I’m going to savour.

“I’ll enjoy every moment, I’ll enjoy every picture that I take with my mind, everybody I see in the audience, every shot, but when it comes to time to play I’ll focus and give it my best.

“Without question I’m playing the best snooker I’ve ever played, and I’ve played some good stuff over the years. It’s down to pure graft that my game’s in such good shape.”

Armed with an overnight lead of 16-8, Murphy had a short wait for a match-winning chance but it came in the second frame after Hawkins missed an early black. Murphy fired in 83, clearing the table, to earn a shot at Stuart Bingham or Judd Trump in the final.

Hawkins had started the afternoon with a break of 103, the eighth century of the match and his third, but his hopes had been effectively extinguished on Friday when Murphy established his vast lead, going as far clear as 14-3 at one stage.

The eight centuries in the match equalled a Crucible record, with that figure having been reached in five matches, three of them featuring Hawkins.

Murphy completed snooker’s career triple crown by landing the Masters title in January. That followed his previous Crucible and UK Championship victories. He said: “It’s unbelievable. Aside from winning the world championship or the Masters, let’s say, getting to the final is the best feeling in snooker.

“You realise the next time you walk into that arena it’ll be for real and you’re going to go head to head with another great player for that trophy. We’ve got to block it out and play some good snooker.”

Murphy almost won the match with a session to spare on Friday and is seeking a distinctly different outcome to his last final in Sheffield, when John Higgins eased to an 18-9 win.

“I didn’t really take part in the 2009 final against John,” Murphy said.

“So to have another crack at it is what I’ve been dreaming of since then.

“ It’ll mean more than the first time if I win and I’ll be putting absolutely everything I’ve got into this match.”

Hawkins said: “Definitely the better player won in that match. It’s going take a special performance to beat Shaun. He’s cueing so well and there’s not a safe place on the table.”

Murphy faced a wait to learn who would be his opponent in the final played over Sunday and Monday. Bingham developed his lead from an overnight 9-7 advantage to 13-11 over Trump before the concluding evening session.

Murphy said of Trump: “Everyone’s been calling it his championship for weeks now it seems – he’s been the favourite, I think, in the players’ eyes for pretty much the whole event.”

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