Superb Murphy beats Xiao with session to spare

A smiling Shaun Murphy in black shirt and bow tie, and grey waistcoatGetty Images

Shaun Murphy has won one World Championship final, lost in three more, gone out in the semi-finals once and been beaten in the quarter-finals on four occasions

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Former winner Shaun Murphy produced a superb performance to thrash China's Xiao Guodong 13-3 and become the first player into the 2026 World Championship quarter-finals.

Murphy, a winner at the Crucible in 2005 and runner-up in 2009, 2015 and 2021, led 6-2 overnight against China's world number nine Xiao Guodong, before winning seven of the eight frames in Friday's first session.

It meant the 43-year-old eighth seed won his match with a session to spare.

As a result, Friday's evening play will feature just the second instalment of the match between Barry Hawkins and Mark Williams, with the divider raised so the whole arena can watch.

Murphy made breaks of 93, 66, 103, 69, 115 and 103 in Friday's session to set up a last-eight tie against the winner of the all-Chinese match between reigning world champion Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui, with the quarter-final beginning on Tuesday and finishing on Wednesday.

"I'm really pleased with how I played. I'm delighted," said Murphy. "It does not happen often that you win with a session to spare, because everyone is so good.

"I would not say I'm desperate to win another World Championship, but it is close.

"It's 21 years ago since that clueless 22-year-old came here and nicked the trophy from everyone. Since then I've been trying my hardest to get the trophy again. It's not been through the lack of trying."

Murphy last reached the quarter-final stage in 2021, before he lost to Mark Selby in the final, and said he still feels he can improve.

"I'm loving the game, loving practice and still think I can get better," said Murphy. The best days are still ahead of me."

Williams and Hawkins level after eight frames

Three-time winner Mark Williams reached the final last year and would become the oldest world champion if, at 51, he could win the tournament for a fourth time.

His last-16 opponent Barry Hawkins took the opening frame of their match with a break of 127, and the pair alternated frames with Williams making a 124 in frame four and 65 in frame six.

The Welshman moved ahead for the first time by taking the seventh frame, only for Hawkins to win the last of the session, helped by a run of 73, to draw level at 4-4.

Their match will resume at 19:00 BST on Friday and be played to a finish on Saturday evening.

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