UK Championship: Jack Lisowski brushes aside Shaun Murphy to reach semi-final in phenomenal display
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Updated 18/11/2022 at 22:53 GMT
Jack Lisowski made four consecutive centuries as he brushed aside Shaun Murphy to reach the UK Championship semi-final. The 31-year-old produced the best performance of his career and Murphy couldn't cope with his attacking brand of snooker. He will meet either Mark Allen in the last four. Stream the 2022 UK Championship and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery.
Lisowski records fourth century in a row in match against Murphy
Jack Lisowski’s bid to land a maiden ranking prize remains on track after he powered his way to the UK Championship semi-final with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Shaun Murphy.
Lisowski, ranked 13th in the world, made four consecutive centuries in a dazzling display of attacking snooker, wrapping the match up in one hour and 27 minutes.
He will meet Mark Allen in the last four.
Lisowski made a blistering start, quickly making 67 but missed a simple frame-ball blue, a rare slip-up in what turned out to be an almost perfect performance.
Murphy countered with 67, including an amazing red up the side rail to the green pocket, to force a respot.
A safety error from Murphy allowed Lisowski to step in to take opener and build some momentum.
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'I made a tactical mistake' - Murphy reflects on defeat to 'phenomenal' Lisowski
An outrageous fluke from Murphy handed him a chance to get on the scoreboard in the second frame, but he faltered and Lisowski made him duly pay, knocking in his first century of the night, a 105.
Lisowski continued to pull away from his opponent after Murphy missed a tough long red, with the 31-year-old punishing him with a second ton in a row, this time making 127.
It was an electric performance from the Jackpot in front of his coach Peter Ebdon, and it was only going to get better.
It was an electric performance from the Jackpot in front of his coach Peter Ebdon, and it was only going to get better.
Murphy was making mistakes and when he carelessly left a red, Lisowski showed no mercy, finishing with a stunning 123 to make it 4-0 before the interval.
If Murphy was hoping Lisowski would let up upon the restart, he was wrong as he strung together his fourth consecutive century to move to within touching distance of a whitewash.
In the sixth frame and needing just one more for victory, Lisowski could have made history by becoming the first player ever to make a fifth century in a row. However, it was Murphy who brought up a ton, a delightful 111, and finished with a theatrical bow. Was the comeback on?
Murphy looked set to extend the match before he declared a push shot on himself in an incredible moment of sportsmanship.
It proved his final contribution in a pulsating night of snooker, with Lisowski clearing up to get the job done.
Asked by Eurosport’s Rachel Casey if he had been able to take the first frame were there have been a different outcome, Murphy responded: “Yeah, who knows? Those first few exchanges are so important even in the match of that length. And, you know, having cleared up with 67 to force the respot of course it's a flip of the coin.
“Do you know, looking back I think I made a tactical mistake letting Jack take the first shot on the respot. I think that trend has started to change and he had me in trouble from the first shot.
Unsurprisingly, Murphy was full of praise for his opponent.
“Unbelievably well-played, Jack was phenomenal," he said.
“I have walked into Ronnie or John Higgins or a Mark Williams, just having one of those days, but that is right up there.
"I think that the thing that makes our game probably the hardest single player sport in the world, other than fighting, and is that if you don't get a shot, your next shot could be your last.
"To make the breaks he made, in the way he made them, at the speed he makes them with the ease he makes them, if he plays like that, he wins. Straightforward."
Murphy was also quizzed about declaring a foul on himself at a crucial stage in the seventh frame.
“It's one of the things we pride ourselves on in snooker. It is a gentleman sport and those small etiquettes, those things that you don't see in some of the sports, are what makes us a different package.”
“It's one of the things we pride ourselves on in snooker. It is a gentleman sport and those small etiquettes, those things that you don't see in some of the sports, are what makes us a different package.”
His next opponent will be Mark Allen, whose fine season continued with a 6-4 win over Sam Craigie.
Allen - who won the Northern Ireland Open last month - was trailing 4-2 in the match but roared came to take the next four frames.
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