Shaun Murphy ended Zhao Xintong’s run at the Crucible with a sharp 13-10 victory and marched into a World Championship semi-final against John Higgins.
Murphy’s win carried weight beyond the scoreline. Zhao had chased a deeper run at snooker’s most demanding stage, with hopes of shaking off the so-called Crucible curse, but Murphy controlled the key moments and refused to let the match drift. The result sends an established champion back into the last four and halts one of the tournament’s most closely watched storylines.
Murphy didn’t just win a quarter-final; he shut down one of the biggest narratives still alive at the Crucible.
Reports indicate Murphy produced the cleaner, more decisive snooker when the pressure tightened. Zhao stayed within reach, and the 13-10 score suggests a contest with real tension, but Murphy found the answers often enough to protect his lead and close the door. That composure now becomes his biggest asset as the tournament narrows and every missed chance grows more expensive.
Key Facts
- Shaun Murphy beat Zhao Xintong 13-10 in the World Championship quarter-finals.
- The win moves Murphy into the semi-finals at the Crucible.
- Murphy will face John Higgins in the next round.
- Zhao’s defeat ends his hopes of overturning the Crucible curse.
The semi-final now offers a different kind of test. Higgins brings his own pedigree, his own nerve, and the sort of match toughness that exposes any lapse in focus. For Murphy, this victory gives him momentum and proof that he can manage a dangerous opponent over a long format. For the tournament, it sets up a meeting between two proven names with a place in the final on the line.
What happens next matters because the margins only get tighter from here. Murphy has already shown he can absorb pressure and finish a high-stakes match; against Higgins, he will need that same edge for even longer. The winner won’t just earn a final berth — he will seize control of the championship’s final narrative at the Crucible.