Magic start for Murphy

Last updated: 3rd September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Magic start for Murphy

Murphy: Magic start

Week One Results:
Shaun Murphy 5-1 Ding Junhui
Ronnie O'Sullivan 3-3 Marco Fu

Also see

Reigning champion Shaun Murphy made a sparkling start to his title defence as he rolled in two centuries during his 5-1 victory over Chinese star Ding Junhui, while Ronnie O'Sullivan's two century breaks only got him a point against Marco Fu.

Murphy looked set to lose the opening frame, but pinched it from under the nose of the UK champion, and he quickly doubled his advantage by winning the next.

Ding hit back to get on the board without Murphy potting a ball, but he missed an easy red to the middle in the fourth frame as he failed to capitalise on the former world champion breaking down after a 55 break.

'The Magician' Murphy then sealed the two points with a century break making it 4-1, and he added the gloss on the victory with a 109 in the last frame, clinched with a long double on the black.

"I've had worse nights," Murphy told Sky Sports after earning £7,000 for his night's work. "That's a job well done.

"It's a good start but the league's a long tournament and I proved last year it's not about how you start the league. I was last for a long period last year and propping the league up, but it's all about getting in the top four and tonight's the first of many.

"Winning frames you're not meant to is a double whammy - it gives you such a boost but it is what it does to the other player psychologically that counts, you see it all the time in sport, its not what it does to me but to the other guy.

"I think the scoreline was a touch flattering, I thought Ding played quite well in parts. This game is about fractions and Ding missed a couple of balls that he normally wouldn't, and if those balls go in, we might still be playing and the match wouldn't have been how it is, but as it is it's a long but happy drive home."

Ronnie O'Sullivan matched Murphy's scoring in netting two century breaks, but he could only force a 3-3 draw with Marco Fu in his league opener.

'The Rocket' wants his title back after his years of dominance end with defeat against Murphy last year, but he was happy to settle for a point in Southampton.

Fu led three times in the match, but each time O'Sullivan responded to level, including a 119 in the fourth to make it 2-2.

After Hong Kong's Fu took the fifth to ensure at least a point, O'Sullivan made sure it would only be a single point as he rattled in a 103 finish to grab a draw.

"We both had chances to win the match," said Fu. "It could have been better for me and could have been worse but 3-3 is probably a fair result overall.

"I'm just a little bit match sharper this year than last year, that's all, and I'm pretty happy with my game so far."

O'Sullivan agreed, and was happy enough to settle for a point after trailing 3-2.

"It was alright," he said. "I scored when I was in the balls, the first frame there was a lot of safety involved and didn't really get a chance.

"It would've been nice to get off to a good start, but Marco looked comfortable and it could have been 4-2 so I've got to be happy with a point in the end."