Masters 2015: Shaun Murphy relieved at not quitting snooker

18 January 2015

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Masters 2015: Shaun Murphy wins in style

Masters champion Shaun Murphy expressed his relief at not quitting snooker as he savoured a 10-2 final triumph over Neil Robertson.

Murphy, 32, thrashed the Australian to become only the 10th man to seal the 'Triple Crown'.

"This time 12 months ago, I talked about giving up snooker completely," Murphy said.

He completed the biggest winning margin in a final since Steve Davis's 9-0 whitewash of Mike Hallett in 1988.

The 10 'Triple Crown' winners
Shaun Murphy joins Neil Robertson, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Terry Griffiths, Alex and John Higgins, Mark Williams and Mark Selby in having won all the World, UK and Masters titles

After winning the 2011 Brazilian Masters, Murphy suffered a barren spell of three years without a trophy and considered becoming a snooker coach.

But he returned to form last year by picking up the Haikou World Open and three further European Tour events.

"I am very, very relieved I didn't quit and stuck at it. I decided to combat it with hard work and it has paid off," he said.

"By doing well in this tournament, it shows I can still compete and win any tournament in the world.

"There are plenty more tournaments to be won from now until the World Championship [which starts on 18 April]."

Former world champion John Parrott
"From looking like someone who would occasionally look like winning a tournament, he was very impressive at the Masters. When you score like Shaun Murphy can score, you can win any tournament. He deserves everything he gets because he has worked very hard."

Murphy, from Sale, Greater Manchester, added to his 2005 World Championship victory, external and his triumph in the 2008 UK Championship, external and said he had been under pressure to win the missing major.

"The media made up the Triple Crown mythology and it really does affect the players who have got two out of the three," he said.

"It is seven years since I competed for the third major so it has been a long time coming. There has been a lot of hard work.

"It hasn't hit me yet. I am sure over the next few days, months it will sink in."