2018 UK Championship

[JimMalone]

Murphy lead Chen Feilong 3-1, but failed to win another frame afterwards, continuing his miserable season. He has now 6 matches won and 9 lost. After the UK Championship Shaun Murphy will be outside the Top Ten of the World Rankings for just the second time since the start of the 2006/07 season. The only other occurence of this happening to him was for just two months between December 2014 and February 2015. He's also just #58 in the rankings of this season alone.

For this tournament his out means the second section is as wide open as already expected. Ding Junhui is the other seed here and he also hasn't been surefire this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he loses to Matthew Selt.

[Billy]

[...] Murphy just didn’t look like he was in it.

It's long been a trend for Murphy. He talks a lot about under-achievers, but should be looking closer to home in this respect.

[Billy]

Ding Junhui is the other seed here and he also hasn't been surefire this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he loses to Matthew Selt.

I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me either. He's lacked the hunger for a long time now. Half the time he looks like he'd rather be anywhere else than playing snooker.

[blahblah01]

Murphy has recently moved to Ireland, according to a bod Eurosport, and was used as a reason for a defeat recently. I assumed it is Eire, will the EU let him in? I can't pretend to follow him as I usually have to turn over etc, but he has struggled since the win then loss to ROS last season?

Ding could well see the way to protect his Ranking with an easy run? It's a shame that he hasn't really challenged the big 3, as he seems like an ok bod, and a joy to watch among the balls, but seems almost predictability unpredictable?

Higgins is still suffrribgbfrom the last 2 WC's imho, and may not be back to those levels, but credit to him if he does (and loses the second and third frames in the first round in Sheffield :wink

Has Williams been practicing?

[Mark187187]

I don't think Shaun Murphy knows what to do. He won his world title being super aggressive, then he developed a better all round game, but with only limited success to show for it. He seems to be trying to revert to his old style, but the long pots just aren't going in, and he's giving opponents too many easy chances.

[JimMalone]

Murphy has recently moved to Ireland, according to a bod Eurosport, and was used as a reason for a defeat recently. I assumed it is Eire, will the EU let him in? I can't pretend to follow him as I usually have to turn over etc, but he has struggled since the win then loss to ROS last season?

Ding could well see the way to protect his Ranking with an easy run? It's a shame that he hasn't really challenged the big 3, as he seems like an ok bod, and a joy to watch among the balls, but seems almost predictability unpredictable?

Higgins is still suffrribgbfrom the last 2 WC's imho, and may not be back to those levels, but credit to him if he does (and loses the second and third frames in the first round in Sheffield :wink

Has Williams been practicing?

Murphy has had some personal issues. The change to Ireland and then his daughter had been ill. So maybe this is part of it.

As for Higgins I think he would do well to get a better physical shape.

[JimMalone]

I don't think Shaun Murphy knows what to do. He won his world title being super aggressive, then he developed a better all round game, but with only limited success to show for it. He seems to be trying to revert to his old style, but the long pots just aren't going in, and he's giving opponents too many easy chances.

I think this has always been an issue with Murphy. I don't think his all-around game has ever been up with most elite players. He is just attacking and relies heavily on his long pots. But he has done so since years and sometimes successful.

[blahblah01]

Apologies for typing, I was on phone before.

I have thought that about Higgins for a while, but those 2 losses must have knocked the stuffing out of him. It would be difficult for a Selby let alone Judd et al as they were 2 of the best quality wise and with the ebb and flow. Personally I blame that dress his wife wore, it was wrong on so many levels\layers lol, but maybe she could do the weightloss etc with him? I saw him interviewed (I think with ROS) and he was decidedly erring on the entering less, which is right: the recent weeks have been STUPID, as they have been in the past. Ending here or China on a Sunday and starting in the other on a Monday is so wrong. It is bad enough what happened to Wilson and Allen in Ireland. But maybe that stuff should be saved for a different thread?

[blahblah01]

I think this has always been an issue with Murphy. I don't think his all-around game has ever been up with most elite players. He is just attacking and relies heavily on his long pots. But he has done so since years and sometimes successful.

Apart from that ROS win, has he beaten the top players much (ROS, Higgins, Selby maybe Ding and Williams when motivated)?

He has seemed to lose in Qualifiers to far flung places quite often?

[JimMalone]

Apart from that ROS win, has he beaten the top players much (ROS, Higgins, Selby maybe Ding and Williams when motivated)?

He has seemed to lose in Qualifiers to far flung places quite often?

Yes, he is obviously capable of beating them. When he scores heavily Murphy can beat anybody. But he doesn't have a B-Game like Selby, Higgins or O'Sullivan, when his scoring isn't working. Therefore he also loses more often to "lesser" players.

[fkhan]

Yes, he is obviously capable of beating them. When he scores heavily Murphy can beat anybody. But he doesn't have a B-Game like Selby, Higgins or O'Sullivan, when his scoring isn't working. Therefore he also loses more often to "lesser" players.

Could it be because of his pencil thin tip at 8.7 mil?

[blahblah01]

I'll try and dig put his results for the last few years (when not trying to watch 2 Snooker matches and Lpool and typing blah), esp the defeats to the top bods (ie inc Williams last season). Apart from that win vs ROS I don;t remember many - he loses in Qualifiers and rarelt exceeds his seeding?

I know doubt about the personal issues, tbh. How is Mrs Robertson, it would be interesting to find out what was the chicken and egg re her isses and his Computer Games obsession.

[blahblah01]

Could it be because of his pencil thin tip at 8.7 mil?

Allen dumped his 8.5 and had a good season last term, and is starting to look the player that people say that he should be?

[Cue crafty]

Apologies for typing, I was on phone before.

I have thought that about Higgins for a while, but those 2 losses must have knocked the stuffing out of him. It would be difficult for a Selby let alone Judd et al as they were 2 of the best quality wise and with the ebb and flow. Personally I blame that dress his wife wore, it was wrong on so many levels\layers lol, but maybe she could do the weightloss etc with him? I saw him interviewed (I think with ROS) and he was decidedly erring on the entering less, which is right: the recent weeks have been STUPID, as they have been in the past. Ending here or China on a Sunday and starting in the other on a Monday is so wrong. It is bad enough what happened to Wilson and Allen in Ireland. But maybe that stuff should be saved for a different thread?

I don't care which thread it should be in, the bit about the wife's dress made me laugh :biggrin-new:

Keep seeing the stuff we miss Blah, it's a great perspective.

[blahblah01]

Don't encourage me, lol. Maybe her red hair and face was supposed to be the sun over the cornfieldesque dress?

Seriously, I would like to see him win next year after those 2 Finals, and I am available as a Personal Shopper etc for her, as she seems to be a bonnie lass.....

His 3rd Frame is an interesting affair re Pink over pocket and 6 or 7 reds packed around it - Hig looked to be clearing up for 3-0, but it went wrong.