Shaun Murphy Delivers “Dream Performance” with Dominant Whitewash at English Open

Shaun Murphy advanced to the last 32 of the 2025 English Open with a breathtaking 4–0 victory over Zak Surety on Monday. The 2005 world champion delivered what he described as a “performance that you dream of,” compiling breaks of 125, 135, and 133 in a ruthless display.

Murphy accumulated 457 unanswered points, while Surety managed only eight in a one-sided contest. The win comes at a crucial time for Murphy, who recently fell outside the world’s top 16 for the first time in 19 years.

“I’m delighted with the performance,” said Murphy, the reigning Masters champion. “I’ve been working very hard and believe my game is in good shape. I really feel something good is around the corner.”

Murphy, who has surprisingly never reached the quarter-finals of the English Open, also humorously acknowledged his awareness of match statistics due to his broadcasting career. “I know that winning 4-0 with three centuries is special. It’s exactly the kind of performance you imagine when you’re training all those hours.”

He will next face China’s Fan Zhengyi, who defeated David Gilbert 4–2.

Other notable results included wins for Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, and Mark Selby. However, Kyren Wilson, this season’s Shanghai Masters champion, suffered a surprise 4–2 defeat to Robbie Williams despite making breaks of 108 and 73.

Barry Hawkins, Si Jiahui, and Luca Brecel also advanced, with Brecel edging out Hossein Vafaei in a decider. Last year’s runner-up Wu Yize continued his run with a 4–1 win over He Guoqiang.

The tournament continues on Tuesday with world champion Zhao Xintong, defending champion Neil Robertson, and world number one Judd Trump entering the competition.