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Shaun Murphy Plays One Of The Sickest Snooker Shots Ever

Shaun Murphy Plays One Of The Sickest Snooker Shots Ever

Pot the red and screw back...

Michael Minay

Michael Minay

A silent arena, with you in the middle of it, and hundreds of eyes staring down at you. With every person's breath tickling your neck, your next move is scrutinised. Whatever you do next well be met by a rapturous applause, or a large intake of oxygen followed by several oohs.

Welcome, LADS, to the world of snooker.

Credit: PA

When it comes to opponents there aren't many tougher than 'Rocket' Ronnie O'Sullivan - a five-time world champion and one of the quickest thinkers in the game.

The challenger, if you can call him that, is 2005 champion, Shaun Murphy. He's got pedigree himself, reaching the final two years ago, but he perhaps isn't known for his character and tenacity like Ronnie O.

Anyway, in the last-16 tie, one of these heavyweights would be sent packing from The Crucible, Sheffield.

At 6-2 down, things were looking bleak for Murphy, and it certainly wasn't the time to be playing clever shots. Or, maybe it was...

Early in the ninth frame, Murphy was left with a tricky red, but nobody expected him to run the cue ball across three cushions, come back up the table and pot the single-pointer.

He did, and with perfection. A masterclass in knowing your angles...

John 'where's the cue ball going' Virgo and the six-time world champion, Steve Davis, couldn't believe their eyes.

Usually World Snooker organises a 'shot of the tournament' vote, surely there is no need for that now?

Hands down, it's the best for many a year.

The bizarre sport has seen a rapid rise in popularity under the guidance of Barry Hearn. Taken from the backstreet boozers of Britain, it is now worldwide, with China now arising with a wealth of new talent.

Hearn is also the man behind the darting world, but helped transform snooker in the 1980s when he signed the, then, young prodigy, Davis.

In 1985, Davis and Dennis Taylor played out the dramatic 'black ball final'. 17-17 in frames, the World Snooker Championship came down to the final ball, the black ball.

Credit: PA

The match went into the small hours of the following morning and watched by 18.5m - it remains a BBC Two record.

At 12:23am, The Crucible erupted - Dennis Taylor was the world champion.

Credit: BBC

Once a year, at least, we all just have to go Snooker Loopy.

Featured Image Credit: BBC