Shaun Murphy delighted with British Open triumph after defeating Anthony McGill - ‘No one in their wildest dreams’
Updated 29/09/2025 at 08:37 GMT+1
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Shaun Murphy certainly did it the hard way, but managed to power his way to victory in the British Open final. Anthony McGill was certainly a worthy opponent in the final, and Murphy was seemingly just as relieved as he was elated after a gruelling encounter in Cheltenham. It was a superb win for the 2005 World Championship winner, who can look ahead to the remainder of the season with confidence.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Shaun Murphy was seemingly in disbelief after claiming the British Open title with victory over Anthony McGill in the final.
Murphy surged over the line by winning the final four frames with a 10-7 win in Cheltenham to claim his first ranking title in two years.
This was a fine performance by Murphy, who hit more than eight half-century breaks, but this was far from a straightforward victory.
His semi-final win over Mark Selby was particularly impressive, claiming an incredible 6-1 victory to set up a meeting with McGill.
McGill’s run to the final was also impressive after recovering from 3-2 down to beat fellow Scot John Higgins 6-3 in their semi-final. This came after wins over Stan Moody, Xiao Guodong, Oliver Lines and Gary Wilson.
Murphy paid tribute to McGill after the match, with the Scot’s safety game in particular causing issues for the 2005 world champion.
"I had to keep every shot 100%, and some of the safety battles we had were just too difficult," said Murphy on ITV.
"He's such a class player, and such a class act off the table as well. He's had a great week. And no doubt, there'll be other weeks to come."
The Magician admitted that this tournament win was not something he could have hoped for, after an arduous route to the final which included having to overcome Neil Robertson, Judd Trump and Selby.
He continued: "I'm absolutely delighted. No one in their wildest dreams, let alone me, thought I was going to be the last man standing.
"This event hasn't necessarily been kind to me over the years with the random draw structure, and it wasn’t particularly kind to me this week, if I'm totally honest.
"I must pay tribute to two people who are so important to me, who work so hard and they give me so much. It's not just me out here doing it on my own. Firstly, Peter Ebdon has been an amazing help to me, just to try and find that extra bit of something.
"And also my partner Jo, who supports me in absolutely everything. As everyone knows, we're involved in a lot of things, and she’s the power that keeps it all going."
Murphy will now turn his attention to the International Championship qualifiers, as he faces Yao Pengcheng next Wednesday.
The main tournament takes place between November 2 and 9.
That comes before the start of the 2025 Xi'an Grand Prix, with Murphy drawn to face Long Zehuang on October 8.
"It's wonderful to have a trophy tucked away still fairly early in the season, although we've done a lot of miles already, and we're doing plenty more in the next few weeks to come," he said.
"It’s the small matter of a qualifier for us next week, and then out to Xi'an again. Now is the time to be playing well, there's lots of great players playing well, and it's wonderful to have another trophy."
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