Shaun Murphy invoked the infamous Crucible curse as reigning champion Zhao Xintong fell at the World Snooker Championship, losing 13-10 in the quarter-finals. No first-time winner has successfully defended their world title at the Crucible since the tournament moved to Sheffield in 1977, and Zhao became the 21st player to fail in that quest.
Zhao, nicknamed the Cyclone, had a stellar season after winning his first world title 12 months ago, claiming three ranking events and a non-ranking title in Saudi Arabia. He entered the tournament as a short-price favourite, but his defence ended at the hands of the Magician, Murphy.
The match began with Zhao storming to a 3-0 lead, including a break of 122 in the opening frame. However, Murphy responded by winning the next five frames to lead after the first session. The second session on Tuesday night was closely contested, with Zhao edging it and levelling the match at 8-8 heading into Wednesday afternoon.
Neither player had truly sparkled, but Murphy ignited first in the final session. The 2005 world champion compiled breaks of 96, 80, and 70 to move to 12-9, leaving the champion on the ropes. Zhao fought back with a superb 81 to keep his hopes alive, but Murphy sealed victory with a break of 69 after some nervy exchanges.
Six-time champion Steve Davis praised Murphy's performance on the BBC, calling it 'nigh on the perfect session' and 'a super human performance.' This marks Murphy's first semi-final since 2021 and only his second since reaching the 2015 final.
Semi-Final Line-Up
Murphy will face either John Higgins or Neil Robertson, who resume their match on Wednesday evening with Robertson leading 9-7. On the other side of the draw, Mark Allen advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Barry Hawkins 13-11. Allen will play either Hossein Vafaei or Wu Yize, both bidding for their first Crucible semi-final.
