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Snooker Masters

Masters 2025: Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy set for grudge match after bitter war of words – 'Baffling behaviour'

ByDesmond Kane

Published 17/01/2025 at 11:25 GMT

The 51st Masters at Alexandra Palace is set to be treated to an old school grudge match on Saturday afternoon when warring former winners Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy meet in the semi-finals of the sport's biggest invitational event. Allen set up a clash with Murphy by completing a 6-2 win over Mark Selby on Thursday night after Murphy had earlier eased past Neil Robertson by the same scoreline.

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Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy will meet in the semi-finals of the 51st Masters at Alexandra Palace in what could be described as a classic grudge match on the old green baize.

Allen secured a showdown with his fellow Masters champion by completing a 6-2 win over Mark Selby in the quarter-finals on Thursday night after Murphy had eased past Neil Robertson by the same scoreline.

The pair's friendship seemed to sour in October after Allen was critical of the playing conditions at the British Open in Leicester when the Northern Irishman said the table "needs to be burned".

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World No. 7 Murphy – who also represents the interest of the players on the WPBSA governance board – responded to the Allen comments by saying: "I think some of the criticism from fellow professionals has been nothing short of rude and amateurish".

This did not sit well with 11-time ranking event winner Allen, who described Murphy's comments as "irrelevant" while also mocking his recent decision to take multiple cues to matches.

"Anyone taking [Murphy's] opinions seriously, I seriously question their judgement or quite possibly their sanity, not gonna lie," Allen wrote on X.

"Anyway, maybe I’ll take three cues to my next match."

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Murphy then defended World Snooker Tour's decision to consign world champion Kyren Wilson to the second showpiece table at the British Open, despite Wilson's unhappiness with the situation.

"It’s about time the players understood that it’s about which match is the most attractive, the most exciting, which is going to pull more viewers in and that’s the one that will go first. It’s no more complicated than that," said Murphy.

This attracted further derision from Antrim man Allen, who commented on social media: "Actually getting a bit boring reading recent views.

"This is someone who is meant to represent the players at board level, but openly criticising the current world champion and others.

"Baffling behaviour, or is it just attention seeking from the yes man?"

The enmity between the pair rolled over and onto the UK Championship in York last month when Murphy questioned why Allen was taking so long between shots during a brutal semi-final with Barry Hawkins, a match he lost 6-5 beyond midnight after almost six hours of play.

"As for Shaun in comms," said Allen on X. "He’s absolutely entitled to his opinion on things, but perhaps best to leave personal feelings out of the commentary box in future.

"All because I called out some of his recent BS."

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Invoking the spirit of Alex Higgins and Steve Davis from yesteryear, or Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ali Carter from last year, it is difficult to suggest either man will not feel an inner glow from settling old scores in London.

Murphy is 13-7 ahead of Allen in career head-to-heads, but 2018 Masters champion Allen completed a 6-4 win over the then defending champion Murphy in the first round of the 2016 tournament.

Murphy had defeated Allen 6-4 in the semi-finals on his way to the title a decade ago.

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