2nd Q&A with Shaun Murphy

It's time then for my 2nd Q&A with World No.7 Shaun Murphy, where Shaun has kindly agreed to talk about all sorts of things such as: the state of the amateur game, when Shaun decided that snooker would be his career, his favourite all time matches, a possible career as a snooker commentator and what he thinks about being called Mrs Doubtfire.

Here's what Shaun had to say then:

How is your game feeling ahead of the busy month ahead?

Well all our months are pretty busy now so we're all getting used to it. I'm really enjoying all the travelling and everything that goes with it and working hard on my game. I haven't really had the results that match the amount of practise I’ve been doing but I know that good things are coming, i just don't know when.

You used your new cue for the first time in Australia, how did it feel?

My new cue is performing well. I’m really happy with it and now feel completely used to it. As I’ve said before, I only changed because my old one broke practising for the World Championship but i think it was for the best.

While you were in Australia you did a bit of commentary. So, in the future do you want to be a commentator for the BBC or any other TV channel?

I had a great time commentating in Oz and had some really nice feedback too. I'd definitely like to go into that later on in my career, hopefully that won’t be too soon!

The Paul Hunter Classic was played back in August and is considered the best European Tour event, how much do you enjoy playing in Germany and do you and the other player’s see this as the stand out PTC, in memory of Paul Hunter?

Yeah the Paul Hunter Classic is definitely played in a different spirit to other events. It’s such a good event, that all the players get behind and support together with great crowds every year and so it’s always a good event to go back to. We all remember Paul differently, but my everlasting memory of him is that he never once complained about the bad cards life had dealt him. He just got on with things and carried on trying. He was a great lad and profoundly missed.

How difficult are the PTC’s, when you have a lot of matches on one day with a short turnaround?

I think now, we're all used to the PTC formats, playing multiple games in one day has become the norm. It’s now a bit odd when we go to a bigger event and only have to play once a day. It’s a luxury we never knew about until the PTC's started.

What do you think of the new dress code of polo shirts for PTC Events?

I’m a fan of the new dress code for the European Tour events, and would even support the change filtering down into other events. I still think that we need to dress suits at the World Championship like they have Whites at Wimbledon, but I think the Polo shirts make snooker more appealing to a younger audience.

How tense do you get when you’re involved in close matches, because you have been involved in many over the past season or so?

That pressured scenario when it comes down to a close finish is what snooker's all about. Those are the matches we all live and practice for, amateurs and professionals alike.

What is your favourite match of all time?

Tough question this, as i've been in a lot of good matches over the years but actually i've got to say i've got two, and neither are mine. In no order, I will never forget going to the Crucible in 1992 as a nine year old to watch Peter Ebdon make his debut against my idol Steve Davis. That was an amazing day that I’ll always treasure ruined only by Peter, who hadn't read the script and beat Steve! My other one would be the Hunter V O’Brien Masters final when B&H sponsored it at the Wembley Conference centre. The atmosphere was electric and was the first time I remember thinking I wanted to be out there doing it. I’ve not won the Masters, but it’s that memory that keeps driving me on.

You have become renowned for big comebacks, so what is your thought process when you find yourself in these positions?

To be honest, I don't really know. I was always taught that it’s never over till the fat lady sings, and although i've sometimes heard her warming up backstage i've never ever given up until i’ve shook hands. I'm just not wired that way.

Do you prefer the longer format to the shorter format, and is this any different for when you’re playing lower ranked players?

I think in general you see fewer upsets in the longer format matches as things like luck, whatever that is,  haha,  tend to even themselves out the longer the game is but we play that many different formats now, you've just got to get on with it. Like I predicted three years ago, the standard of play, in my opinion across the tour is now the best it’s ever been. Rankings have become irrelevant and it truly now does come down to how you play on any day.

Are there any big rivalries on the snooker tour at present?

Not that i'm aware of, everyone gets on well.

Here’s a comedy question from one of my twitter followers: What do you think about being called Mrs Doubtfire?

Well i've definitely been called worse so it’s not that bad I guess. It was a good film too so at least it made people laugh.

This has brought me on to an interesting thought though: Are there any secret nicknames that guys have for you on tour, which fans don’t know about, and do you have any secret nicknames for any other players?

I can’t name names, but one players manager used to call him boomerang. I asked him why and he said that because every time he goes away he comes straight back!

You’ve always come across a quite a funny guy, so are you much of a fan of comedy and if so, who are your favourite stand-up comedians?

Yeah I love people like Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre and Lee Mack. I think it takes massive bottle to get up on stage and make people laugh so these guys have my 100% respect.

When you’re away in the middle of a tournament, what do you do between matches, and how do you switch off? Music, Television etc.?

I find a good box set or a book to be the answer these days. I’m currently working my way through Homeland. I’ve tried a few times to get into 24 but just can’t get into it for some reason.

How do you think the amateur game is now, compared to when you started out?

I think in general the health of snooker is very good top to bottom. Certainly from a family point of view, two of my nephews are really into it, with the eldest, Joshua Cooper entering the PTC at Gloucester.

 At what stage did you realise that snooker was going to be your full time career, was it always your dream to become a professional snooker player and who was your inspiration growing up?

I took up snooker at 8, and really decided that it was what i wanted to do at about 11. At 13 i left school, to play full time snooker and so it was all go from then. Looking back it was a good thing it paid off because I had nothing to fall back on if it didn't.

Having won the World and UK Championships, how desperate are you to complete the Triple Crown with a win in The Masters this season? Is that your major goal for the season?

Together with winning another World Title, winning the Masters is right at the top of my list of events to win. I keep asking the Jester from Leicester if he wants lend me one of his 3 but apparently not.

Finally, what are your plans for the next couple of months, with a busy period of snooker coming up?

We're in full swing now so for me it’s competing and then preparing for the next event. I tend to have a fixed practise routine together with working on things from my recent games. YouTube is great for that as not every game in recordable but most of them are posted on there so i can watch them back with my coach Chris, and this gives us an idea of what to work on going forward.

 

 

Some really interesting stuff there again from Shaun, and I'd like to thank him once again for taking part in the Q&A (and being a good sport as well), and I hope you enjoyed reading his views. I'm looking forward to more features like this coming your way on the blog in the near future.