Welsh Open 2023: Shaun Murphy battles into first final for two years with win over Pang Junxu

Shaun Murphy ended his two-year wait to play in a snooker final after he battled his way to a 6-3 victory against Pang Junxu in the second Welsh Open semi-final. In a match of two halves, the opening four frames were tight and cagey, before Murphy stamped his authority as Pang failed to take several opportunities. Ad Murphy will play Robert Milkins in Sunday’s final, which is his first since finishing runner-up to Mark Selby at the 2021 World Championship.

Welsh Open'This was a big night for me' — Murphy reacts to reaching Welsh Open final6 HOURS AGO “It probably got to me if anything, that was a big night for me,” Murphy said in the Eurosport studio. “When you’re one of the big four or five names, you’re in semis and finals all the time. That hasn’t been my career the last few seasons.

“For me, I lost in the semis at the World Grand Prix, semis at the Turkish [Masters] and apart from that it’s been such a quiet few seasons. Tonight meant so much and I probably let it get to me a little bit.” It was a story of missed chances in the early stages, a running theme for much of the match, before Pang made a break of 49 to leave Murphy needing snookers. Smartly, Pang laid a snooker of his own but Murphy played a ridiculous trick shot by wobbling the white in the jaws of the bottom right pocket to make it travel up the table, off the top cushion and into the red which was hanging over the right middle pocket, so dropped in.

The former world champion shared a joke with the crowd after the incredible shot, but it was Pang who had the last laugh when he went on to win the first frame. There was more drama when Murphy won a black ball frame after missing the final pink twice when he was put in a difficult snooker. Then, Murphy came