Shaun Murphy makes Kyren Wilson title prediction after Masters final battle
Shaun Murphy expects Kyren Wilson to land the Masters title in future, while he is now fancying his own chances at this year’s World Championship.
The Magician beat the Warrior 10-7 in Sunday’s Masters final, completing the perfect week for him after knocking in a 147 in the semis against Mark Allen.
The 42-year-old is now a two-time Masters champion after landing his first title 10 years ago and takes his Triple Crown tally to four having also landed World and UK titles.
Wilson is the reigning world champion but his search for a Masters title goes on after a second defeat in the final at Alexandra Palace.
Murphy expects that search to be a successful one, though, after the Warrior battled back from a long way behind to create a very edgy final session in north London.
‘I thought the game was a really good match of snooker, I thought Kyren conducted himself brilliantly. I thought he stood up like a world champion does,’ Murphy said in an Instagram video.
‘As I said in the post-match press conference, It’s not in a world champion’s DNA to lie down and give up. Even at 6-2 ahead I knew I had to keep fighting, even at 8-4 I expected Kyren to go on a bit a run and he did exactly that.
‘He made an amazing match of it. At 8-7 it was very, very nervy so all credit to Kyren. His time will come where the Masters is concerned, I’m sure. But I’m absolutely delighted and over the moon, as you can imagine.’
Murphy is now eyeing up more success of his own, with his sights set on a second World Championship title in Sheffield this season.
‘Well, it just completely reignites. It changes the perspective for me,’ he told SportsBoom of his world title hopes.
‘As I say, I am not trying to use it as a line. I genuinely thought my days of winning these tournaments were gone and I’ve managed to prove that wrong to myself more than anyone else.
‘So, I will go to The Crucible knowing that I can do it. And that’s something I haven’t felt for a long time.’
Murphy feels his work with former world champion Peter Ebdon has gone a long way to getting him back to his best and get his confidence back.
‘The partnership with Peter Ebdon, the first thing that he has helped me rediscover was my self-belief and that I can actually do this,’ he said. ‘And geez, three events in and we’re winners. Unbelievable.’
Wilson is aiming to get back to lifting trophies much sooner than the Crucible, with the German Masters starting on Monday.
‘I’m 33 years old, coming into my prime, I’m having an amazing season,’ Wilson said after the Masters final. ‘Runner-up obviously isn’t where I want to be but we’ve got Berlin next week, so I’ll go and smash it in Germany.’
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