Referee ends frame early with Wu Yize still looking to pot balls against Shaun Murphy in World Championship final

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There was a strange end to the third frame of the World Championship final between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize when referee Rob Spencer called a premature end to play.

Wu pots ball after referee calls frame

Video credit: TNT Sports

After seeing the opening two frames of the match slip through his grasp, Murphy was on the back foot again in the third and required a snooker with only the colours left on the table.

He played a series of shots in a bid to force an error from his opponent, but Wu was up to the task.

As Wu rolled object balls over pockets to limit Murphy’s options, the 2005 Crucible champion was forced to pot those balls.

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Murphy's chances diminished as the number of balls on the table dropped, and he was eventually left with only the pink and black to play with.

He failed to get a snooker and to rub salt into his wounds - which were fresh after he slammed the rest on the table in frustration after being distracted by a noise from the crowd - Wu laid a snooker of his own.

Murphy failed to make contact and saw the white drop into the left corner to effectively bring an end to the frame.

Etiquette dictates that you do not concede with your opponent at the table, and Murphy’s turn ended when the white found the pocket.

Wu was left with the simple task of potting the pink, which led to a round of applause and Spencer calling frame.

But Wu was not done, as the black was still live and he was within his rights to pot it.

”Let him pot it, Rob,” said Dave Hendon in the TNT Sports commentary box.

'There was a significant bleep' - Murphy slams rest on table in annoyance after distraction

Video credit: TNT Sports

Wu strode round the table and sank the black to bring an end to a lengthy third frame, with the youngster firmly in the ascendency.

It was a dramatic start to the final, with Murphy distracted by a beeping noise in the audience in the second frame.

During the third frame, play was interrupted when a spectator made a vocal protest and made her way to the arena floor.

The spectator was tackled by Spencer and bundled out of the Crucible by the security team, as play was able to resume.

After losing the opening three frames, Murphy made an excellent break of 85 in the fourth to get on the board ahead of the first interval of the two-day final.

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