Shaun Murphy has taken to social media to criticise a spectator at the Crucible who allegedly called his shot 's***' during his World Snooker Championship first-round match against Fan Zhengyi. The 2005 champion, who holds a 5-4 overnight lead, posted on Instagram: 'Just a friendly reminder... If you're sat on the front row in the Crucible and I play a shot that may not work for a particular reason, it's probably best not to say "s*** shot" out loud. I've got ears...' He added, tongue-in-cheek, that he missed his next shot while contemplating which end of his cue to 'nut him with'.
Murphy, 43, bounced back from the incident to close the session with a stunning 140 clearance, giving him the edge heading into day four. The match is due to resume at 7pm on Tuesday. The reigning British Open champion has also taken aim at Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan for skipping media day, calling it 'a real shame' and suggesting it gives them an 'image problem'.
Meanwhile, Murphy confirmed he will not be providing commentary for the BBC at this year's tournament, breaking with his role from previous years. He stated that negotiations over terms broke down, saying: 'We were in negotiations with the powers-that-be, and we couldn't come to an agreement on terms. So I decided it wasn't for me at the previously agreed rate; it was nothing more than that.' He dismissed suggestions it was related to his preparation for the tournament.
