Shaun Murphy expressed his frustration towards Matchroom regarding the scheduling of the Champion of Champions event on Monday. This dissatisfaction stemmed from his recent participation in China’s International Championship quarter-finals just four days prior.
The snooker player was unexpectedly placed in the opening match of the tournament and suffered a significant 4-1 loss to Lei Peifan. Murphy, aged 43, disclosed that he was only informed of his Monday match while returning from Nanjing, learning about the event’s order on the morning of the competition.
In a post-match interview with ITV4, Murphy criticized Matchroom for the handling of the tournament arrangements, stating, “I conduct myself as professionally as I possibly can. I try and treat the game with an incredible amount of respect.”
He further expressed his disappointment with the organization, highlighting the lack of communication and what he perceived as disrespectful treatment towards him in the event’s formatting.
Murphy’s discontent contrasts with other players like Mark Williams, Mark Allen, and Alfie Burden, who did not participate in the International Championship last week and are scheduled to play in the later stages of the Champion of Champions event, unlike Murphy who played on the opening day.
Responding to Murphy’s grievances, Matchroom released a statement acknowledging his frustrations and emphasizing their commitment to prioritizing players’ needs and ensuring fairness in the tournament structure based on seeding.
On the same day, World No. 1 Judd Trump secured a 4-1 victory over Bai Yulu, advancing to face Lei in the subsequent match. The upcoming matches in the tournament include Kyren Wilson vs Jack Lisowski, Allen vs Ziao Xintong, Williams vs Burden, Mark Selby vs Stephen Maguire, Neil Robertson vs Tom Ford, and John Higgins vs Xiao Guodong.