Shaun Murphy held his hands up to a foul (Image: Getty)
Shaun Murphy received a wealth of praise for owning up to a foul during his opening World Grand Prix match against Ben Woollaston. The Magician, who clinched his second Masters title in January, is one of the favourites to go all the way in Hong Kong this month, but he was off to a rocky start when he faced Woollaston as a replacement for Stephen Maguire in the eleventh hour.
started strong in the match, before referee Maike Kesseler missed a red ball glancing the Englishman’s hand in the opening frame. With his conscience getting the better of him, Murphy owned up to the foul, before Woollaston took full advantage of the hiccup to swoop the frame. And the instance of honesty on Tuesday caught the attention of fellow snooker pro Dominic Dale, who was working as a co-commentator for TNT Sports during the game.
Dale explained: “Shaun has declared a foul on himself there and you can see that the red came back off the pack of reds and made contact with the bridge hand of Shaun Murphy. Well that is very good of Shaun to declare such a foul.
“It’s something that we’re proud of in our sport here, that so many snooker players are very courteous to one and other. And they do declare fouls upon themselves.”
Dale later added that the decision disrupted Murphy’s flow later in the game, adding: “It’s amazing how matches can turn around in a rather innocuous fashion really.
“Shaun looked fantastic so early on in that first frame, then developed the reds and from nowhere a red has sprung out the pack. It’s commendable that he did that, but it cost him the frame and something like that happening can turn a match around in no time at all. Especially in matches of as short a duration as these are, a best of seven.”
Murphy ultimately beat Woollaston 4-3 (Image: Getty)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Thankfully for the 42-year-old, his error didn’t cost him the match – with Murphy ultimately bouncing back to run out as a 4-3 winner over Woollaston. Speaking after the match, he explained: “At this level, there are no easy games. You can’t take anyone for granted.
“The fact that Ben was a late call-up doesn’t change the fact that he’s an incredibly difficult player to beat. Nobody batters Ben Woollaston, he’s a really, really tough player to play against. He showed that today.”
Murphy next faces off with World No.11 Barry Hawkins in the quarter finals of the World Grand Prix come Thursday.