Murphy faces familiar face

SHAUN MURPHY today embarks on his first major challenge to prove his stunning World Championship success was not a flash in the pan.

The 23-year-old started off as a 150/1 outsider when he became the first qualifier since Terry Griffiths in 1979 to claim the sport’s ultimate prize, with an 18-16 victory over Matthew Stevens at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in May.

Now he opens his bid for the second most prestigious ranking title, the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York, against Nigel Bond, one of his closest friends on the circuit.

Bond certainly believes his practice partner has the quality to establish himself as one of snooker’s top stars.

“I’ve practised with Shaun on a regular basis since he was about 15 or 16 and I always knew he had it in him to be a top player because he has a great cue action and times the ball so well,” said the world number 27.

“The way he became world champion may have been a shock to the public but not so much to the other players because they all knew what he was capable of.”

Bond, who was approached by Murphy’s father to practise with the youngster, expects it to be a surreal experience sitting in the opposite corner of the Barbican Centre auditorium to a player whose game he knows so well.

“I’m looking forward to it but it will be weird because we have become such good friends,” said the Derbyshire professional.

“We only live 35 minutes away from each other now since Shaun moved to Rotherham so it’s much easier to practise together than when he lived in Northamptonshire. But this will be our first competitive match against each other.”

The world’s three highest-ranked players also get their campaigns under way today with Ronnie O’Sullivan taking on 2004 semi-finalist Mark King, Stephen Hendry facing Thailand’s James Wattana and defending champion Stephen Maguire facing Joe Swail.