Shaun Murphy has voiced his anger after a lighting malfunction disrupted his first-round match at the World Snooker Championship. The 2005 champion was leading 8-8 against Fan Zhengyi when the lights on the adjacent table flickered on just as he prepared to take a crucial shot.
Murphy immediately reported the incident to officials and, despite winning 10-9, remained furious. He said: "We don't ask for much as snooker players. Leave the lights off is one of them. It affected the shot, it affected the match. That was poor."
The World Snooker Tour (WST) responded the following evening, stating: "This unfortunate incident was caused by a technical issue and we are taking steps to prevent it from happening again."
Murphy also criticised a spectator who shouted "s*** shot" during the match. He admitted the distraction affected his play, saying: "As I got down to play the next red, I was still thinking... and before I knew it I'd missed the red. It was a lesson."
