How Shaun Murphy saved Kyren Wilson from setting unwanted new record in 'extraordinary display' at Xi'an Grand Prix
Updated 10/10/2025 at 10:23 GMT+1
Kyren Wilson narrowly avoided an unwanted record after Shaun Murphy fell just short of scoring the most points without reply in a match. Murphy produced a dominant performance to whitewash the world No. 2 during their last-16 clash at the Xi’an Grand Prix. The Magician was within 23 points of Ronnie O'Sullivan's all-time record, but left himself snookered on the final red in the final frame.
Watch Murphy save Wilson from points whitewash with foul on final red
Video credit: TNT Sports
Shaun Murphy fell just short of the all-time record for the most points without reply during his 5-0 thumping of Kyren Wilson at the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Murphy had scored 533 unanswered points during the last-16 contest, leaving him 14 points shy of Stuart Bingham’s record in a ranking event and just 23 points off Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record in any match.
The Magician looked set to surpass both these totals, but left himself snookered on the final red in the final frame, and instead caught the pink, gifting Wilson his only points of the entire match, just as it ended.
Speaking afterwards, Murphy said: "That’s pretty much as good as I've ever played. I think that's one of the best best-of-nine matches I've ever been a part of.
"It's mad you play so many matches around the world for all your life, and every now and again it comes together, all the hours of practice from being a child, it all comes together in one little session, and you have a burst like that.
"Of course, the greats - the Ronnie O’Sullivans, the John Higginses, the Mark Williamses - have been doing that for years; every now and again, people like me do it a little bit.
"It was great today. I knew I had to play well against Kyren; he’s a great champion, the defending champion here, but I didn't expect to play that well."
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Asked whether Wilson did much wrong, Murphy said: "No, I played a good safety in the first, that was it, he broke off in the second, similar in the third, fourth and fifth.
"It was just a mad day, you put all the hours of practice in for moments like that. I'll do exactly the same for my match tomorrow, and I'll probably play rubbish. It's a mad game."
It was a truly dominant performance from Murphy, with total clearances of 141 and 133 in frames two and three, along with a break of 74 to start the match, and contributions of 84 in the final two frames.
The world No. 12 was perhaps aware of the records he was closing in on, looking to the heavens after leaving himself tucked behind the blue on the final red before tapping the table with his fist.
O’Sullivan set the current record of 556 points without reply during his 6-0 thrashing of Ricky Walden at the Masters in 2014, a performance which has gone down as one of the greatest individual displays in the sport.
Bingham’s record in a ranking event, meanwhile, came in the first round of the 2016 China Open, when he scored 547 points across five frames during his 5-3 win over Sam Baird.
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Reacting to the victory on TNT Sports, commentator David Hendon said: "No record, but what an extraordinary performance.
"Kyren Wilson was completely shut out. He didn't get a look-in in the whole match until that foul at the end - they're the only points he scored, an extraordinary display from Shaun Murphy.
"The British Open champion, hoping to win back-to-back ranking events, he’s in a golden spell of form."
Murphy will now face either Oliver Lines or Ding Junhui for a place in the semi-finals.
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Xi’an Grand Prix, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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