Murphy fights back to advance into next phase - 25/01/2011

GROUP FOUR LATEST SCORES (FIRST TO 3)
TABLE ONE: PETER EBDON 3-1 MATTHEW STEVENS
TABLE TWO: MARK ALLEN 3-1 MARCO FU
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SHAUN MURPHY came from 2-0 down to overcome gutsy Mark King and secure a spot in the final big money group of Championship League Snooker at Crondon Park Golf Club, Essex.

His win sees him return on 23rd March where he will join Mark Williams and Mark Selby, with the final four places to be determined.

King had got off to a great start, edging the first frame by a single point and then taking the second with breaks of 30 and 37. A superb break of 139 from Murphy though, the best in the group, got him back in it and secured the £500 top break bonus.

There was more to come in the next as Murphy compiled a run of 137 to level things. The turning point in the decider came when King was 41-0 up. He potted the black and seemed to go perfectly into the pack but a loose red crept into the middle pocket to hand the initiative to Murphy.

The 2005 World Champion never looked back as he ran in a break of 80 to seal the win. He earned £6,700 while King took home £4,600 and will be back in Group 4.

“It was a cracking match and at 2-2 Mark had a really good run and was in a good position, but he was desperately unlucky when he split the reds but a red then went into the middle pocket to give me a chance," said Murphy.

“That’s all you want in the deciding frame and I got that. I was sorry for Mark but it was good for me.

“In the first frame I should’ve won it and was in complete control but messed it up, Mark got a snooker and won the frame.

“Then he won the second and I was 2-0 down without doing too much wrong.

“This is the most intense practice I’ve played since being a boy. I can’t remember the last time I played all day for two full days, probably not since I was about 12. Even at the World Championships you will only have a couple of sessions a day.

“The fact you get into the Premier League if you win the Championship League is a bonus but there’s also good money at stake and this is a great tournament in its own right - everyone wants to win it.

“Hopefully I can get into the Premier League anyway by winning one of the major events or being high up in the rankings but this is another avenue that is still open.”

Earlier King had battled back from 2-1 down to oust Ali Carter in the semi final, while Murphy posted an excellent run of 122 in his decider with Peter Ebdon. Both losers return on Wednesday to compete in Group 4.

There are seven players competing in each Championship League Snooker Group and they each play the others once, with a point for a win. All matches are the best of five frames.

Play continues tomorrow at 10.30am when Group Four gets underway with 12 matches and concludes on Thursday with a further nine league games before the semi-finals and the final.

Coming in tomorrow to join Marco Fu, Carter, King and Ebdon will be seven times World Champion Stephen Hendry, Mark Allen and Matthew Stevens.

Players earn £100 per frame won. The top four players after the remainder of the group matches tomorrow then play in best of five semi-finals. The money increases to £300 per frame won and the winner receives £3,000, the runner-up £2,000 and the beaten semi-finalists £1,000 each.

The winner then goes through to the final group on March 23rd & 24th where big money as well as a spot in the Sky Sports-televised Premier League Snooker is up for grabs. The two bottom players are eliminated from the competition, while the remaining four move forward to Group Three at the end of January to be joined by three new players.