Mark Allen has 'absolutely no animosity' towards Shaun Murphy after Masters semi-final loss at Ally Pally

Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy have been exchanging barbed comments for the past few months, but the Northern Irishman was ready to put their spat behind them after his 6-3 loss in the Masters semi-final. Allen called his opponent "one of the best" in the sport's history and congratulated The Magician on his spellbinding 147 break, adding that he hopes Murphy takes the crown on Sunday evening.

'Absolutely no animosity' - Allen buries the hatchet with Murphy after semi-final loss

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Mark Allen was quick to dispel any rising tensions between himself and Shaun Murphy after the latter reached the 2025 Masters final.

Murphy hit a magnificent 147 in his 6-3 win over the Northern Irishman at Alexandra Palace, and Allen could be seen smiling and tapping his thigh while the Englishman worked his magic.

But the build-up to the match was dominated by testy back-and-forths between the pair, with Allen calling Murphy's comments about the WST prioritising more "attractive" match-ups "baffling behaviour".

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After the defeat on Saturday afternoon, Allen was asked about his rivalry with Murphy.

"Look, myself and Shaun have had a difference of opinion in the last few months on certain things. But that means nothing when it comes to the respect we show each other on the table," he said.

"He's one of the best players to ever play this game. That doesn't change just because I disagreed with him over a few things. He's a great player, great for the sport and he just played better than me today.

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"So absolutely no animosity, and I said that to him at the end. I wished him all the best for tomorrow, I hope he does well, because whenever Shaun's playing like that, potting those long ones, he's frightening to watch and really good for our sport."

In his post-match interview, Murphy also extended the olive branch, saying: "I must pay tribute to Mark, he played really well. He made it so hard, so tough. I had a little bit of luck at the right time. I’m absolutely delighted."

And Allen's respect extended to Murphy's maximum break in the sixth frame, particularly after Murphy came up short in his quarter-final against Neil Robertson on Thursday.

"Obviously, until he gets to 73 I'm hoping he misses and then I clear up. But once he gets to 73 and the frame's gone, I want him to do it. It's great for the crowd," said Allen.

"Shaun had a great chance the other day against Neil [Robertson] and messed that up. But it's always a buzz. I think that's maybe two or three that people have against me now. It's always a buzz but especially here, in this arena. It's special."

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'Buzzing' Murphy 'can't believe' 147 perfection

Murphy became just the fifth player and the first Englishman to complete a 147 break in the history of the Masters, with Allen achieving the feat in the 2024 edition.

The Magician has put himself in contention for a whopping £147,000 bonus should he score another maximum this weekend or at the World Championship in the spring.

And after the disappointment of Thursday's failed attempt against Robertson, Murphy was "buzzing" to share a slice of Masters history.

Watch Murphy's magnificent Masters maximum in full

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"I'm absolutely buzzing," he said. "I can't believe it. I'm obviously delighted with the 147. That's a career highlight for me.

"It was just an incredible moment, one of the best moments of my snooker career. I wanted to make a 147 in one of these events since I was a child.

"I had a great opportunity the other day and I totally messed it up. But I have to say, I had great support from the crowd all afternoon. They were absolutely amazing."

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