World Snooker Championship: Si Jiahui stuns former champion Shaun Murphy in thrilling contest
- Planet Sport writer
- 21 April 2023
Si Jiahui held his nerve in a seesawing final-frame shootout to clinch another famous upset victory over Shaun Murphy and a spot in the second round of the World Snooker Championship.
Si Jiahui held off a comeback from former champion Shaun Murphy to win a final-frame shootout and secure a shock first-round triumph at the World Snooker Championship.
Murphy was fancied at the Crucible this year after triumphing at both the Players Championship and Tour Championship but slipped 9-6 behind to the world number 80, the lowest ranked player in the tournament.
The 2005 champion peeled off three frames in a row to set up a decider, where Si hit the front with a break of 56 and while an attempted split of the reds went awry, the 20-year-old Chinese stayed focused.
Even though Murphy gave himself a chance with a superb long pot, cannoning off another red, he ran out of position and soon afterwards gave away three fouls attempting to get out of an awkward snooker.
Si duly closed out a 10-9 win - his second over Murphy, who caused controversy when he said after his first defeat to the then-amateur at the 2021 UK Championship that he "lost to someone who shouldn't even be in the building".
Murphy has admitted in the build-up to this encounter he regretted his actions then and there was no frostiness at the conclusion of the match with a polite handshake as Si pumped his fist to the crowd.
As Murphy faces up to a second successive first-round defeat in Sheffield and third in four years, Si can now look forward to an encounter with Robert Milkins, who was also taken to the last frame as he produced a memorable comeback to beat Joe Perry 10-9 in their rearranged contest.
