Malta champ Murphy on a high
Murphy triumphed at the Malta Cup last month
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Thursday, 15, Feb 2007 08:59
Last month's Malta Cup winner Shaun Murphy continued his blistering recent form with a 5-0 demolition of Jamie Cope in the second round of the Welsh Open.
Murphy became the first player in ranking tournament history to record four century breaks in succession during a best-of-nine-frames match.
The Englishman was too good for Cope, who hardly got a look in throughout the match as Murphy compiled a break of 135 in the first frame.
Runs of 123, 102 and 101 followed in the second, third and fourth frames and he was on course for an astounding fifth before he lost position when in the balls on 31.
The best-of-nine record for Murphy mirrors the achievement of John Higgins, who registered four straight centuries during the 2005 Grand Prix final in Preston.
However, this exhibition of snooker was in a best-of-17 match, which Higgins won 9-2 against Ronnie O'Sullivan, whereas Murphy's accomplishment came in a significantly shorter match.
Murphy was pleased with his achievement, but was characteristically understated: "I'm really proud but I'm sure the record will be beaten in years to come. Standards are improving all the time."
Murphy's next opponent at the Welsh Open is Scotland's Jamie Burnett, who knocked out home favourite and the last remaining Welshman in the draw Mark Williams 5-4