German Masters 2025: Shaun Murphy on why tournament has greater meaning beyond snooker – 'Special event to me'

Shaun Murphy would love to lift the German Masters title as a tribute to his former manager, mentor and best friend Brandon Parker, who was key to bringing the event to Berlin's Tempodrom before his death in 2020. The German Masters trophy was renamed the Brandon Parker Trophy in 2021 after Parker lost his battle with cancer at the age of only 55. "It is a very special event to me," said Murphy.

Pin-point plant on a long red to kick off frame six for Murphy

Video credit: TNT Sports

Shaun Murphy is not lacking personal motivation to chase the German Masters title in Berlin with the tournament's trophy named in honour of his former manager Brandon Parker, who sadly died in 2020 after battling cancer.

Parker was pivotal in raising the profile of snooker in Germany, culminating in the ongoing success story of first bringing the coveted ranking event to the city's Tempodrom in 2011, with Mark Williams claiming the inaugural title with a 9-7 win over Mark Selby.

The growing popularity of the competition saw the German Masters increased from a five-day event to a full week in the schedule last season, with the champion picking up the Brandon Parker Trophy since 2021, along with an increased £100,000 winner's cheque.

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"Driven by Eurosport’s coverage, the expansion of snooker into this region has been an incredible success story over the past decade and Brandon played an integral role," said former WST chairman Barry Hearn, in announcing the trophy would be a testament to Parker's tireless work to promote the sport across Europe.

Fresh from his 10-7 win over Kyren Wilson in the final of the Masters, Murphy set up a meeting with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the last 32 on Wednesday courtesy of a 5-0 victory over recent Shoot Out finalist Liam Graham on Monday night.

"I didn't want to come here, after the Lord Mayor's Show, to this venue that I love so much and lose. I'm delighted with the victory and now we march on," Murphy told reporters after compiling two century breaks.

Murphy has reached the semi-finals three times in Berlin and was narrowly defeated 9-7 by Mark Selby in the 2015 final at the Tempodrom.

"It has been a privilege to watch snooker grow at this venue - there were 2,500 die-hard fans out there today," said Murphy after completing a 6-4 win over Liang Wenbo in the 2015 semi-finals.

"When it goes down to one table, it becomes the best snooker arena on the tour. You can hear and taste the atmosphere - your senses are on fire."

Murphy praised Parker's legacy ahead of this year's tournament.

"Brandon and his German business partner Thomas Cesal found the venue," said Murphy on Stephen Hendry's YouTube channel.

"It's an incredible place to play snooker. It's such a big competition.

"There was a big team of us who went around Germany in the early years promoting these exhibitions which led to those events, including Paul Hunter, Matthew Stevens, Ian McCulloch, Steve Davis and John Higgins.