Shock upset! Snooker Masters report: Defending champion falls, Wu Yize crushes Murphy 6-2 to reach quarterfinals

On January 12th Beijing time, the first round of the Snooker Masters began with high energy. A key match just finished with Chinese player Wu Yize taking on defending champion Murphy. The contest turned decisively in Wu’s favor as he dominated Murphy 6-2, pulling off a major surprise victory and securing his spot as the first quarterfinalist. It’s incredibly exciting!

Murphy, a highly decorated player and Grand Slam champion currently ranked seventh in the world, is one of the formidable “80s five tigers” with immense strength. As the defending champion in this tournament, he faced considerable pressure. Wu Yize, ranked 13th globally, is a rising star from the Chinese contingent who just claimed his first ranking event title this season, marking a career highlight. Wu clearly has strong capabilities, and if he plays at his best against Murphy, advancing to the quarterfinals was well within reach!

The match started with Wu Yize taking the lead 83-11 in the first frame. In the second frame, Wu displayed sharp precision with a stunning 137-point break to win again. The third frame was a tough battle, but Wu secured it 80-15, achieving a brilliant 3-0 start. In the fourth frame, Murphy fought back with a 62-0 shutout to stop the bleeding. The fifth frame saw Murphy score 61 points but make a mistake gifting Wu a chance, which he seized by clearing the table to narrowly win 64-61. Murphy then rallied in the sixth frame with 79-12 to close the gap to 2-4. Wu extended his lead in the seventh frame with a 56-point break, taking the score to 5-2 and earning the match point, nearly sealing the win. Although Murphy built some advantage in the eighth frame, another error allowed Wu to clinch it 60-57, finishing with a commanding 6-2 victory and a shocking quarterfinal berth!

This scoreline is quite surprising. While you might have expected Wu Yize to win, few would have predicted such a decisive margin. The overall quality wasn’t very high, with neither player showing strong single-break dominance, and Murphy’s form was particularly poor, failing to perform at his usual level. Wu’s ability to capitalize on opportunities was key to his win. This marks Wu’s first victory at the Masters, which is highly significant. Let’s hope Wu continues to push for even greater achievements. Keep it up!

Written by / Sports Fiction