Exclusive: A Decade After Triple Crown Completion, Shaun Murphy Aims for More Snooker History

Shaun Murphy is proud of the CV he has amassed on the table — and believes there are more major trophies in the tank.

This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the Magician completing the Triple Crown with a 10-2 thrashing of Neil Robertson to lift the famous Masters trophy.

Murphy, 42, is still ranked in the world’s top eight but has failed to add to his major tally in the past decade.

There have been opportunities which have painfully slipped through his fingers, the 2015 and 2021 World Championship finals spring to mind and he also reached a third UK showpiece in 2017.

Last year it was Ronnie O’Sullivan who stopped him in his tracks at Ally Pally, beating a determined Murphy in the semi-finals en route to his record-extending eighth title.

Murphy, who plays Gary Wilson on Sunday night, told SportsBoom.com: “In the grand pantheon of things I’ve had a really good career and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and I don’t think I’m finished yet.”

“It’s very hard to accept anything other than winning when you have won them. It’s hard to see losing in the semis or a final as success because what you want is a repeat of the success you had when you lifted trophies.”

“But, I think a few other players are starting to realise what an achievement it is to get to these major finals.”

“Judd said at the UK Championship that it was his fourth UK final and he didn’t think he got the credit he deserved for that.”

“To some degree I might say the same. I’ve been to three UK finals, two Masters finals and four World Championship finals — that’s pretty good. Most people are calling that a really good career.”

“I wish anniversaries were written in the stars, but sadly I don’t think it works like that! I came very close at the Crucible in 2015 ten years on and I’ll be giving it absolutely everything, as I do every week to be honest, to go one better at the Masters.”

COMPLETING THE SET ONE TO REMEMBER

Murphy is rightfully proud of his achievements in the sport he has loved ever since he first clapped eyes on it all those years ago.

The Englishman is one of an exclusive group of only 11 players to win the coveted trio of World Championship, UK Championship and Masters titles.

His memorable victory over Robertson sits high among his list of accolades and he has secretly been searching for that irresistible level ever since.

Murphy added: “It was very special. I remember Neil shaking my head at the end and he said ‘welcome to the club’. That was nice. Our sport in particular is full of those etiquettes.”

“When I started attending the Masters as a child and went to the Wembley Conference Centre to watch it the Triple Crown wasn’t a thing. It has since then become a big deal.”

“To complete it at the Masters, which is somewhere I went every year to watch, was special. I’ll always remember that very fondly.”

“My overriding memory of it was that a dear friend of mine John Wilson, who had been with me on this snooker journey all my life, still says it’s the best he’s ever seen me play.”

“I know everybody, including myself rates Neil so highly, so to beat him in such a manner having lost to him in that same final just a few years prior was massive.”

“It was the win that completed my Triple Crown set so that was extra pressure on it from that point of view.”

"I very nearly lost my first match to Selby having led 5-1. I scrambled over the line at the end, but from then I never looked back.”

“I played some magical snooker really throughout the week and if I’m honest I’ve been trying to recapture that for ten years.”