On January 19, 2025, the Snooker Masters continued with its matches, and the first finalist was born. World champion Shaun Murphy achieved another feat by defeating the renowned player from the 80s, Mark Allen, with a score of 6-3. In the sixth game, he even scored an impressive 147 points, securing his place in the final against the winner of the match between Trump and Wilson.
Shaun Murphy, ranked 7th in the world, is one of the few players in snooker to have won the Grand Slam. Born in 1983, he has won the ranking tournament 12 times, including one each at the World Championship, Masters, and UK Championship. He is also a member of the "Five Tigers of the 80s." Although Murphy's performance has been relatively stable recently, frequently reaching the semi-finals, it has been quite some time since his last championship victory. In the previous match, he defeated Neil Robertson.
His opponent, Mark Allen, ranked 4th, is a powerful player born in 1986. Many fans refer to him as the "Sixth Tiger of the 80s," and his recent achievements certainly live up to this title. With 11 ranking tournament victories, as well as titles at the UK Championship and Masters, most players find it hard to catch up with him. Earlier, he easily defeated three-time Masters champion Mark Selby.
The match began with Mark Allen taking the lead in the first game after Shaun Murphy failed to make a shot, winning 70-0. In the second game, both players made mistakes, but Mark Allen won again with a score of 90-6. Initially, Shaun Murphy seemed slow to warm up and out of form, but he quickly adjusted and came back. In the third game, Shaun Murphy seized the opportunity and completed a super break with a score of 66-0. In the fourth game, he scored a single-stroke 83 points to win another game.
After the intermission, Shaun Murphy scored a single-stroke 54 points in the fifth game, winning with a score of 79-12. In the sixth game, Shaun Murphy cleared the table perfectly, scoring a single-stroke 147 points. This was his ninth career 147, officially announced by the World Snooker Association, setting new records for multiple snooker statistics. It is also the second this year, the eighth this season, and the 210th in history. Previously, Murphy had missed a perfect score, but now he has made up for the regret.
In the seventh game, Shaun Murphy only scored 30 points before interrupting his attack, while Mark Allen scored a single-stroke 54 points to win the game. In the eighth game, Shaun Murphy scored a single-stroke 72 points, winning 91-1 to level the score and reach the match point first. In the ninth game, Mark Allen scored 36 points but made a major mistake that prevented him from continuing. Shaun Murphy then won the ensuing struggle with a score of 63-49, ultimately defeating Mark Allen 6-3 and advancing to the Masters final.
Both players delivered a high-quality match, which was quite dramatic. Interestingly, Murphy missed a 147-point shot against Robertson but found it again against Mark Allen. If he maintains this rhythm, no matter who his opponent is in the final, he has the potential to win the championship.