MARVELLOUS MURPHY RULES THE PALACE

Shaun Murphy won his first Triple Crown title for a decade with a tremendous 10-7 victory over Kyren Wilson in the final of the Johnstone's Paint Masters at Alexandra Palace.

Wilson threatened a fight-back when he came from 8-4 down to 8-7, but Murphy retained his composure and took the last two frames with a brace of excellent breaks. Across the match he made four centuries and four more runs over 50.

Age 42, Murphy admits he feared his time of winning the sport's biggest titles had passed, but he has regained that self-belief and played his best snooker this week in London. Having won the World Championship in 2005, UK Championship in 2008 and Masters in 2015, he now has four Triple Crown victories to his name.

His reward includes the £350,000 top prize, the biggest pay-day of his 27-year career, but far more important to Murphy is the glory of lifting the Paul Hunter Trophy on the 50th birthday of this historic event. He becomes only the 12th player to win the Masters on multiple occasions. 

The Englishman was outstanding throughout the tournament, conceding just eight frames in three matches to reach the final, and making a total of seven centuries including his marvellous 147 during the semi-finals. For a player who relies so much on confidence, it was a week when his game clicked and he made potting balls look as easy as shelling peas.

World number seven Murphy will hope to continue that momentum into the rest of the season, as he remains in danger of dropping out of the top 16 and having to qualify for the Crucible. But one thing is for sure - he'll be back at Alexandra Palace next year as number one seed. 

Wilson had hoped to win the Masters for the first time but has now lost two finals as he was also runner-up to Mark Allen in 2018. Having conquered the Crucible last May he is enjoying a fine season as World Champion, winning the Xi'an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, but the 33-year-old from Kettering will be devastated not to bring his best today on a huge occasion. 

Trailing 6-2 after the first session, Wilson took the opening frame tonight with breaks of 48 and 44 to narrow the gap. Murphy responded with a 125, his third century of the match, before Wilson's 95 made it 7-4.  The key moment of the crucial 12th frame came when Wilson, among the balls leading 14-9, missed a tricky black to a centre pocket, gifting Murphy the opportunity to make 66 to lead 8-4 at the interval.

Murphy scored just one point in the next three frames as Wilson battled back, scoring top breaks of 78 and 65 as he closed to 8-7. Early in frame 16, Wilson went full-blooded for a tough long red and missed the target, scattering reds and leaving Murphy the table to make 55 which proved enough to leave him two up with three to play. 

And he sealed the result in style with a break of 100 to wrap up a ninth win over Wilson in 12 meetings and win his first title since the 2023 Championship League.

"It's totally unbelievable, I'm in shock," said Murphy. "I genuinely thought that my days of competing for these Triple Crown events had gone. There were too many bad losses, you start seeing demons in the pockets. The loss in the world final in 2015 really hurt me, and the one in 2021 also took it out of me. 

"I've been working with Peter Ebdon and that's what has saved me because I was in a spiral of negativity. The first thing he wanted to do was restore my belief that I can actually do this. Three events in and we are winners. I came here having worked very hard on my game, in a really good frame of mind. To make the 147 yesterday completed a lifetime ambition. And now to be here with the trophy, it's one of the best days of my life.

"Peter and I have worked on the mental side. Everyone knows how tough he was. I felt I had gone a bit soft and he agreed. That's what we have worked on, to be more steely, more granite, to give them nothing and to play my attacking game when I get the chance.

"This reignites my hopes of winning the World Championship again. I have proved to myself I can still win these big ones, so I'll go to the Crucible knowing I can do it.

"From 8-4 tonight I expected Kyren to come for me because it's not in a World Champion's DNA to give up. I wouldn't have liked to go 8-8 because it was getting twitchy."

Wilson said: "I gave Shaun too much of a head start. Perhaps there was a bit of fatigue after a late finish last night. Shaun used his experience. I'm proud that I managed to dig in deep. I still fancied it at 6-2 and 8-4. If the long red had gone in at 8-7 the balls were mine to clear up. I'm not a player who is going to play dolly shots, I went all-out and got aggressive. My game is in fantastic shape, being World Champion has inspired me and I'd like to think there are many more trophies to come. I'll be in Berlin next trying to win that one."