Former Crubible king Shaun Murphy has revealed who he believes the ‘most improved player’ was following this year’s World Championship. Murphy had gone into the tournament buoyed by his recent Masters victory, but was ultimately sent packing in the second round by semi-finalist Judd Trump.
Trump was on the end of his own unwanted defeat, losing to a rejuvenated Mark Williams in the last four. Williams couldn’t add a fourth title to his previous three wins in Sheffield, with Chinese sensation Zhao Xintong capturing the imagination of the snooker world by becoming the first-ever Asian winner.
Snooker chief lifts lid on private message from Mark Williams before Zhao final
However, during a post-World Championship debrief, Murphy has claimed it was quarter-finalist Chris Wakelin who surprised him the most with his Crucible exploits. The 33-year-old began his World Championship campaign with an impressive win over ninth-seed Neil Robertson before defeating Mark Allen in the following round. His pursuit of the crown came to an end when he met Zhao in the quarter-final.
Commending Wakelin’s exploits, the Magician was in agreement with co-host Phil Seymour that Wakelin was the most improved player during a discussion on the Onefourseven podcast. He said: “It was good. He [Wakelin] made a point of talking about it in his interviews about his belief and that between-the-ears part of the game. I know I say it a lot, people say it a lot. But it’s what makes the difference between those that win and don’t…
“He’s definitely improved in that regard, it’s clear for everyone to see. He’s always been a fabulous snooker player, he might have improved slightly. But he’s definitely a much stronger player for finishing strongly.”
