Stephen Maguire downs Shaun Murphy in high-intensity Crucible showdown
Maguire wins the grudge match.
Stephen Maguire is into the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship after an impressive 13-8 win over old rival Shaun Murphy at the Crucible.
It was an emotional match between the two, with Murphy fist pumping to the crowd after winning some frames and Maguire thumping the table and letting out a huge roar after claiming the final frame of the second session.
Murphy is ranked number eight in the world while Maguire had to come through qualifying, but it was the Scot who largely controlled the game and kept the Englishman just about at arm’s length.
The 43-year-old won the first session 5-3 and then managed the same scoreline in the second, taking a 10-6 lead.
The final frame of the second session was a memorable one. Lengthy with a tense safety battle on the colours and both having chances to claim it, but it was Maguire who claimed it on the pink, before punching the table and giving a raucous celebration.
That looked like it was a turning point as Maguire needed just three frames for victory on Sunday morning and he started the final session in perfect fashion with a break of 68 in the first.
A 73 in the 19th put Maguire one from victory, but Murphy is not one to throw in the towel and will have jangled some nerves when he took the score to 12-9 in the Scot’s favour.
The Magician missed a chance in the 22nd though, leaving a red over a pocket and Maguire made no mistake with a great break of 127 to get over the line in some style.
The passion in the match may have partly been explained by the old ‘Chalkgate’ incident from 20 years ago which both referenced in the build-up to the match.
‘That’s a good win,’ Maguire told the BBC. ‘Two wins at the qualifiers and two good wins here. Some good results happening.
‘5-3 up in the first session, you’re praying for 5-3 in the second session and then it’s yours to throw away.
‘It’s not been a great 15 year, let’s be honest. Each season is getting faster and faster, it’s disappearing quick now. Results like this and quarter-final of the Worlds again, I have to pat myself on the back and enjoy it.’
Maguire now meets another qualifier in the quarter-finals in Dave Gilbert who has been thoroughly impressive in his wins over defending champion Luca Brecel and Robert Milkins so far.
Both men have been to the semi-finals before and it is now a brilliant chance for both to return to the one-table set-up after seasons to forget before they arrived in Sheffield.
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