Can Shaun Murphy return to 'Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson level'? Masters holder 'back to practice table' ahead of International Championship

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Winning in Sheffield is special for any snooker player, but thoughts of the World Championship in May will be a long way from the minds of the sport's leading men when the International Championship qualifiers are staged in the city this week. New British Open champion Shaun Murphy is in action on Wednesday, with John Higgins and Neil Robertson returning to the table on Tuesday morning.

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It will be a case of no rest for the winner on the World Snooker Tour circuit this week as new British Open champion Shaun Murphy returns to action only three days after claiming the 13th ranking title of his elite career.

Masters holder Murphy reeled off four straight frames to complete a 10-7 win over a rejuvenated Anthony McGill from 7-6 behind in Cheltenham on Sunday night, but there is little chance of extended celebrations.

Qualifying for the International Championship (November 2-9, live on TNT Sports and discovery+) takes place at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, with a number of the leading men back on the baize.

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Murphy takes on world No. 118 Yao Pengcheng at 7:30pm on Wednesday night in a best-of-11 frame match with the winner securing a spot at the finals venue in the Chinese city of Nanjing in early November.

The 2005 world champion was forced to do it the hard way in claiming his maiden British Open crown, with victories over Neil Robertson in the last 32 (4-1), Judd Trump (4-3) in the last 16 and Mark Selby (6-1) in the semi-finals making him a worthy winner.

"I have been watching the likes of Trump, Selby and Robertson winning multiple titles in a season and I would like to get back to that level," said Murphy, who produced three of his six centuries at the event on the final day.

"I still think I am dangerous on my day, as I have proved this week, so I just need to add consistency. I'll be back on the practice table tomorrow."

McGill, who has moved up 12 places from 57 to 47 in the rankings following his run to the final, will meet women's world No. 1 Mink Nutcharut on Tuesday evening.

The first morning of qualifiers in the chase for the £175,000 first prize sees Neil Robertson take on Germany's Umut Dikme at 9:30am, with John Higgins, defeated 6-3 by McGill in the British Open semi-finals, up against Liam Pullen.

Pullen will aim to repeat his recent 5-3 win over the four-time world champion in qualifying for next week's Xi'an Grand Prix in China.

Meanwhile, Dikme has replaced Hong Kong's three-time ranking event winner Marco Fu, who faces a two-month period on the sidelines after fracturing his elbow.

Fu has won eight of his first 12 matches of the new season, boasting the fastest average shot time on tour of 15.6 seconds, but will also miss next week's Xi'an Grand Prix.

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The afternoon session of International Championship qualifying on Monday sees Mark Selby face Steven Hallworth at 2:30pm, before Kyren Wilson meets Gong Chenzhhi and Mark Williams faces Ukraine teenager Iulian Boiko at night.

New English Open champion Mark Allen takes on British Open quarter-finalist Mitchell Mann on Wednesday morning, with six-time world finalist Jimmy White opening against Daniel Wells 24 hours later.

Elsewhere, 12-time women's world champion Reanne Evans has been handed a match with Michael Holt as qualifying concludes on Thursday afternoon, with Ali Carter confronting last season's Shoot Out finalist Liam Graham.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan - who has opted out of Wuhan Open, English Open and British Open - is due to begin his campaign at the International Championship in Nanjing against Allan Taylor.

And the world No. 4 is scheduled to face Boiko in the first round of the Xi'an Grand Prix on Tuesday, October 7 at 12:30pm.

Matches involving world No. 1 Judd Trump, world champion Zhao Xintong and defending International champion Ding Junhui are also held over until the finals venue as they avoid the qualifying trip to Sheffield.

Ding faces David Grace in the round of 128, with Trump taking on Dylan Emery and Zhao up against Oliver Brown.