Shanghai Masters 2024 Recap – Murphy turns box office semi-final around to beat Selby

That’s it for our LIVE updates from Friday’s action at the Shanghai Masters – thank you for your company today.

With one exciting semi-final in the books, there is a second one to come tomorrow as Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on Judd Trump for the remaining spot in the final. Action starts at 8am BST – see you then!

What a semi-final that was and what an evening session from Shaun Murphy. Four centuries from him tonight, one of them to sign off, and an excellent performance overall to turn a game around that looked Mark Selby’s for the taking.

It was 6-3 in Selby’s favour after the morning session, but Murphy bounced back in style and snatched a spot in the final where he will face Ronnie O’Sullivan or Judd Trump.

Blue refuses to fall, but it doesn’t matter – the frame is Murphy’s.

That’s Murphy at his best now as he sinks a very long red all across the table.

A long red falls in a beautiful bit of cueing from Murphy and he follows it up with a black – that’s the frame ball.

Neat break building from Murphy and the frame now very much looks in his favour.

Opener to the right side pocket for Murphy. He has options from here, although he is forced to the smaller colours for now.

For the first time in this semi-final, the leader is Shaun Murphy – and what a time to do it! The next frame could decide the game.

Yellow refuses to fall, but it doesn’t matter as Murphy has the century and the frame.

Astonishing from Murphy who pots a covered red at the cushion by almost stabbing down his cue.

Red falls and that’s the frame ball. He now has the table nicely spread as well.

Aggressive shot from Murphy and he succeeds in spilling the reds, albeit not as much as he might have hoped.

So far, so good for Murphy who is putting together a nice break. He will need to find a way to split the reds soon though.

This time Murphy does get his opener and he succeeds in sinking black right after.

Murphy overcuts a long red and leaves an opener for Selby. However, he misses black from there.

And suddenly it’s all square again! We’re down to a best of three in this box office semi-final.

Pink refuses to fall, but Murphy has done enough to take this marathon frame.

Untidy from Selby and Murphy is there to capitalise.

Difficult pot, but Murphy makes the long cue to top right. He is unlucky with the set-up though and can’t continue on brown. He does leave Selby snookered at least, but he has it handled.

Murphy attempts a tricky shot on yellow, but it’s brown that falls instead. The only good news is that Selby misses green in response.

Just as we hit the half hour mark for this frame, Selby finds a way to sink yellow. He can’t achieve a set-up on green though and it’s safeties again.

Now it’s Selby snookered with both blue and pink in the path two yellow. He produces one foul and miss but makes the shot at the second time of asking.

Murphy finds himself snookered again with blue blocking a shot on yellow. He has it covered though.

After a lengthy safety duel, Murphy misses a shot on yellow and pots the cue ball instead. Selby has no chance to capitalise though and we’re right back to safeties.

Snooker again as Selby places the cue ball behind black. This time Murphy handles it though.

Murphy attempts a red down the cushion, it bounces at the pocket but doesn’t want to fall. Selby steps up and sinks it but has nowhere to go from there and he plays a snooker instead with pink between the cue ball and yellow.

It works out nicely as he gets a foul and a miss out of Murphy.

Not as many as he would have hoped as Selby can’t find another red to pot. Murphy makes a long opener in response and is back at the table.

It could not have been any closer, but there’s a miss from Murphy as a long red on top right just refuses to fall. Selby steps up and gets the job done.

It’s all going in Murphy’s favour so far and the table is looking decent for him.

Unlucky from Selby who sinks the cue ball. Murphy capitalises by pulling off a tricky opener.

Murphy closes the gap right down again, but he got away with one in the last frame, despite having looked immaculate up until that missed red. What a semi-final this is turning out to be with some brutal shifts of momentum.

Pink refuses to fall, but Murphy has done enough to take the frame.

What a shot from Selby who cannons the pink, coming off the cushion to free it. However, he misses a red afterwards and Murphy breathes a sigh of relief.

Error now from Murphy who misses a fairly straightforward red which would have been the frame ball. Selby steps up and sinks it – he can still tie this frame of his own accord, he needs at least one snooker to win it.

Aggressive from Murphy and he pulls it off, sinking one red and splitting the others.

Opener for Murphy and the table is looking decent.

Immaculate again from Murphy and he really needed to win that frame to keep him in the game.

Murphy takes the frame with a total clearance and he ends it with a trick shot, sending black via the cushion twice and into top right – exhibition stuff!

Red falls and that’s the frame ball.

Neat break building again from Murphy and the table is looking in his favour. This is a great chance for him and he’ll be looking to make a serious dent in the scoring here.

Murphy finds an opener and sinks black from there, splitting the reds in the process.

And that levels the session and it’s two frames each. Selby reinstates his three-frame lead at the interval and has regained the momentum.

Remember, we are playing best of 19 in the semi-finals.

Murphy sinks green, but he also sinks the cue ball. That’s the end of this frame.

Murphy opts to sink the last remaining red and follows it up with black and yellow. He leaves green on the table in an attempt to now get the snooker he needs.

Just when it looked Selby’s for the taking with the frame ball falling, he misses black from the spot.

Selby makes a play on black and splits the reds in the process. That’s the frame turned firmly in his favour now.

Black falls and with that Selby takes the lead in this frame.

Safeties are being traded, but Murphy is forced into an error and the cue ball falls in top right. Worse so, Selby is left with an opener and makes a nice red.

It looked so far, so good for Murphy, but that’s the end of his break. He sinks black and splits the reds – one of them runs against the cushion though and the cue ball also doesn’t quite end up where he wanted it. Options are thin and he goes for the safety.

… And Selby finds an opener from there. However, he misses a slow blue afterwards, allowing Murphy back to the table who sinks an opener and now has options.

Murphy finds himself snookered as Selby places the cue ball behind yellow. It’s a foul and a miss.

It’s advantage Selby again after an excellent break in frame 12. What a superb semi-final this is turning out to be!

Black falls for Selby to clear the table and claim the frame.

Neat break from Selby and he handles a tricky situation with the only remaining red stuck against the top cushion with a green that gives him a set-up.

There’s a miss now though as Murphy is forced to make a play on three reds locked together and none of them finds a pocket. Worse so, it leaves Selby an opener.

It’s all going in Murphy’s favour in this frame so far with some excellent break building.

Murphy finds an opener and plays some neat shots. He makes a very quick red to bottom right to split the reds and looks in a very good position now.

Three frames in a row for Murphy and with that the game is wide open again.

With only the colours left on the table, it’s a foul and a miss from Selby who concedes the frame.

After a lengthy safety duel, Murphy sees a chance for an opener and indeed makes the long red. He has no set-up from there though and has to go for the safety.

And now here are the flashy shots from Murphy who makes the plant down the cushion. However, he misses a fairly straightforward black afterwards which would have been the frame ball.

What an excellent shot from Murphy who sinks black, comes off the cushion and frees one of the reds.

Black falls and with that Murphy takes the lead in this frame. All clean from him so far, but he likely has some trouble ahead with plenty of reds lying against the cushion.

A strange decision from Selby leaves Murphy with an opener. He doesn’t have the most straightforward set-up on pink from there but makes it work and marches on.

Error now from Selby that leaves him with the cue ball locked to two reds and without a set-up. He opts for a safety.

Selby finds an opener despite an awkward angle. He’s forced to play the smaller colours first but makes his way back down the table and makes an excellent fast red, avoiding hitting black and achieving a set-up on blue.

What a start to the evening session for Murphy! Just what he was looking for with a total clearance and impeccable play.

Nothing flashy, but excellent building and a very neat frame from Murphy overall who takes it home with a clear table and a century break.

And there’s the frame ball for Murphy as he sinks black.

It’s still Murphy at the table with no sign of him stopping. Only one slightly awkward set-up in his run and he handled it well to correct.

Murphy finds an opener he has some great options with neat set-up play from there to build an early advantage.

That’s the players returned to the arena and we’re just about ready to go.

As we wait to kick things off, relive the moment Selby earlier today in the seventh frame when Selby was unlucky to miss a maximum break.

Good afternoon and thank you for joining our continued live text coverage of the semi-final of the Shanghai Masters between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy. We left with the scores 6-3 in Selby’s favour at the break – can he get the job done or will Murphy pull off a comeback? We’re about to find out!

Murphy makes his highest break of the session with a 72 and he remains within striking distance.

A very good break has kept Murphy in the game going into this afternoon’s session.

Selby misses a pink into the middle pocket. Murphy won’t get a better chance to take this frame.

Selby back on the baize and, as if he needed it, he is getting the slice of luck Murphy isn’t as he overruns position but can keep the break going potting another red.

Murphy can’t hide his disappointment as he can’t get good position from the pink…but he receives some good luck with Selby inadvertently potting the black.

The break breaks down at 73 but it is more than enough to win the penultimate frame.

You just can’t give Selby these chances. Another near-perfect break is going to put him four frames up.

Murphy is in shock as a red seemingly glues to the jaws of the green pocket and now Selby can add more misery.

A poor positional shot off the blue means it is end of break of Murphy.

Selby misses a red into the left middle pocket and then Murphy pots one into the right middle.

The Leicester man looks in ominous form now.

A poor shot from Murphy under little pressure has let Selby back in and he will now have a chance of going into the second session a long way in front.

Here is that impressive century from Selby in the third frame.

An unlucky kiss on a red coming off the cushion, has left the frame still open.

8 reds, 8 blacks… The frame is nearly secured.

A big frame next for Shaun Murphy.

A few snookers and a free ball later and Selby will now open up a two-frame lead for the first time.

Selby ends the break opting for a good snooker on the last red rather than try a tricky pot.

Murphy had to put more work on the cue ball to get position but it ends up going into the bottom right pocket. And now Selby has a nice table to work with.

Murphy first to get his hand on the table. He still has some work to do to make this a frame-winning chance.

Selby drops the pink in with a rest to take the lead for the third time in this match.

A Selby double of the yellow looks set to clinch him the frame.

This will be a big frame to win. Murphy edges ahead and leaves a snooker with three reds left on the table.

We saw fine break-building before the interval, but this frame looks a little more messy. Murphy also misses a straightforward shot, but the congested reds mean Selby has a tough task to forge a big score.

It looked like being a stalemate but Murphy gave Selby a tempter, not wanting to be dragged into that game, and his opponent made no mistake. But an easy miss now has Murphy back at the table.

The match is tantalisingly poised, can either forge an advantage to take into the second session.

We are level at the mid-session interval. A high standard of break building from both players so far.

A Selby error lets Murphy back in and he is close to sealing the frame now.

Selby gets his first pot of the frame, with a messy table in front of him as all the remaining reds a beyond the baulk colours.

A fine break of 42, but Murphy then misses a red into the middle by a mile. He is fortunate not to leave a pot on.

After a lengthy safety exchange, Murphy pots the first ball and has a lot of open reds to play with.

A total clearance of 136 has the Leicester man in front – and in some style. He is not grinding frames today.

He reaches a century and then keeps the break going with the tightest of reds along the cushion. On for a total clearance now.

Selby looking so fluent, he has secured the frame and may well be looking at the first ton of the match.

Murphy this time misses a tricky opening red and Selby with an early chance.

Murphy pots a couple of reds and colours and he has now levelled the scores.

The break ends on 62 with Murphy leaving the black in the jaws, but fortunately not leaving a red on.

A second half-century in as many frames and it looked like end of break, but a fine red into the middle from the bottom cushion means he is still going.

Murphy again opens the frame with a fantastic long pot. This time getting a lot of top spin to give perfect position on the blue.

A poor safety from Murphy allows Selby the chance to pot another red and take the opener.

He loses position when potting the black with a rest, but has built a healthy lead.

We have the first half-century of the match and it would not be surprising if he doubles it.

The Jester from Leicester in a good position to make a frame-winning break now.

A fine long pot from Murphy to get the first point on the board. He misses the follow up blue though and Selby has a chance with the cue ball near the blue spot.

The match will be underway shortly.

Thanks for joining our coverage of the semi-final of the Shanghai Masters between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy.