Player Profile - Shaun Murphy
DOB: 10 Aug 1982
Lives: Rotherham
Provisional Ranking: 3rd (Main Tour) Ranking Points this Season
Last 5 Seasons: 5-21-48-64-72
Turned Pro: 1998
Ranking Tournament Victories: Two – World Championship 2005, Malta Cup 2007
Last Seasons Prize Money: £123,350
Career Prize Money: (up to start of 2007/08 season): £628,070
Highest Tournament Break: 147 B&H Championship 2001

Only John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan gathered more ranking points than Malta Cup champion Shaun Murphy last season, and O’Sullivan’s subsequent loss of 900 points at a disciplinary hearing means that Murphy starts the 2007/08 season second in the provisional list.
It could have been even better for the Wiston Warrior but for an agonising defeat to friend and practice partner Mark Selby at the 888.com World Snooker Championship.
Murphy had got the better of Judd Trump and John Parrott to reach the quarter-finals then completed one of the greatest comebacks in Crucible history to beat Matthew Stevens 13-12 from 11-5 and 12-7 down.
He was considered strong favourite to beat Selby, particularly when he led 5-1. But the Jester from Leicester had the last laugh as he won the last three frames for a dramatic 17-16 success. "At no stage of the match did I think I was going to lose. It’s a massive disappointment," admitted Murphy after giving up his chance of a second world title and the official world No 1 ranking.
Nevertheless, it was a fine season for the young potter. The undoubted highlight came on the Mediterranean island of Malta as he won the second ranking tournament of his career.
Narrow 5-4 victories over Ricky Walden and Stephen Lee were followed by defeats of Graeme Dott and Ali Carter to set up a final against Ryan Day. Murphy did not produce his most fluent break-building form in the final but solid matchplay and tactical nous helped him to a comfortable 9-4 success.
"I have shown people that I am not a flash in the pan and I am a winner of tournaments – plural," he said. "When I won at the Crucible there was a lot of expectation that came with it, suddenly I was among the favourites for every tournament. It has taken me a while to repeat that success and when you have experienced the highs of winning, it’s hard to accept mediocrity.
"In some way this means more to me than winning the world title because I have worked so hard for it. I’ve been in the gym here every day after breakfast, running three to five kilometres, then going for a swim.
"To reap the rewards is very satisfying. We will be giving some of the money I’ve won to the Church and some to people in Zimbabwe who need it more than we do. But I will be getting a new pair of trainers because I think I’ve worn mine out this week!"
Murphy reached three other ranking quarter-finals during the season, including the Welsh Open where he registered an incredible performance in a 5-0 defeat of Jamie Cope. He made century breaks in each of the first four frames (135, 123, 102, 101) – the first time that had been achieved in a ranking best-of-nine match.
Murphy rewrote snooker’s history books with his extraordinary victory at the Crucible in 2005. As the world No 48, he was the lowest ranked player ever to win snooker’s biggest title. He was also the second youngest winner, after Stephen Hendry in 1990, and the second ever qualifier, after Terry Griffiths in 1979.
His route to the final took him past Chris Small, John Higgins, Davis and Ebdon then he came from 10-6 down overnight to beat Stevens 18-16, finishing the match in style with breaks of 97 and 83 in the last two frames.  Viewing figures on BBC Sport peaked at 7.8 million.
Recognised as a prodigious talent in his junior days on account of his exceptionally straight cue action, long potting and break-building skills, Murphy was one of the first six World Snooker Young Players of Distinction and won the YPD of the Year award in 2001.
In 2000 he won the B&H Snooker Championship, overcoming Stuart Bingham 9-7 in the final, to earn a wild-card entry to the Masters.
Away from the table, Murphy is a fanatical golfer and plays to a single figure handicap. He enjoys music and is an accomplished piano player.
His other hobbies include travelling the world with wife Clare. They are both Christians and headed to Zimbabwe during the summer to raise money for charity and donate clothes to children.

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