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Masters Snooker 2024 Update: Shaun Murphy breezes past Zhang Anda, secures spot in quarter-finals against Jack Lisowsk
Shaun Murphy demonstrated his dominance by defeating Zhang Anda 6-2, securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace. The 2015 winner’s strategic play overwhelmed Masters debutant Zhang, setting up a clash with Jack Lisowski, who defeated world champion Luca Brecel 6-2 earlier.
Murphy ranked No. 6 globally, showcased his skill with five breaks over 50, highlighting his quest for a fourth Triple Crown win, even though a century break eluded him in this match. The tone was established in the first frame, where Murphy capitalized on Zhang’s early mistake, responding with a 51 break.
In the second frame, Zhang’s break ended prematurely at 37, experiencing a sense of deja vu. Murphy’s adept safety play, including a snooker, allowed him to secure the frame and take a 1-0 lead.
During the match, a brief interruption occurred as a wasp entered the scene, causing a momentary pause for Shaun Murphy. Soon after, Zhang showcased his skills with an excellent long red, initiating a composed clearance of 87 to level the scores. 24hscore
The third frame witnessed a remarkable fluke, described by Eurosport commentator Dominic Dale as “one of the rarest.” Zhang missed the blue, which bounced on the jaw of the center pocket but miraculously dropped into the top left pocket, granting him a fortunate reprieve.
Despite the fluke, Murphy reclaimed the lead in a frame lasting over 30 minutes after Zhang’s costly miss on a red. Zhang’s positional troubles continued in the fourth frame, where Murphy capitalized on his mistake, prompting a significant fist pump from Murphy at the end of the frame, emphasizing the importance of his 3-1 lead.
Despite missing out on a century with a break of 86, Murphy hit the fastest frame of the match to edge closer to victory. Despite this, the mid-session intermission did not slow down his flow.
Zhang reduced the deficit in the sixth set with a strong showing, but he could not complete the deal in a single visit. Zhang cleared the table, and Murphy needed two snookers, but he could not find one.
Murphy took over and made it 5-2. Zhang was unable to recover after he got in between the balls in the last frame, as he broke 89.
