Shaun Murphy is a world-class snooker player who is known for his long potting and straight cue action. In his career, he has been able to achieve over 400 century breaks. This includes the second highest break in the Championship League for 2014.
Murphy was number three in world rankings at the start 2008/2009 season. He dropped to number seven in the 2010/2011 season. He won the Players Tour Championship in 2011 and finished his career Triple Crown. Murphy was considered a big underdog, so it was a surprise win. He reached the final of UK Championship in 2012. He was however defeated by Judd Trump.
Murphy is a skilled player who has won many firsts during his career. His first 147 break was his first, as well as his first ranking title and appearance at the World Snooker Championship.
His career began on the Challenge Tour, also known by the UK Tour in 1998. His father, Tony, was a professional golfer. He was bullied in school as a teenager. He attended homeschooling classes, but did not see his mother until age 19. Elaine, his mother, met him a year later. The couple were married in June 2006. Despite family reservations, the couple got married in 2014.
Shaun has earned over PS3,000,000 in prize cash during his career. He has won seven tournaments that are not ranking. He has also played in eight ranking tournaments and reached the quarterfinals of two.
At the start of the 2004/2005 season, he was ranked number four in the world. He won the Brugge Open as well as the Welsh Open. By this time, he had been diagnosed with Savant Syndrome, a condition in which a person with autism has superior skills.
He won the World Championship in 2005. He was also named Sportsman of the year by the BBC the following year. He then became a San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, California surgical resident.
Murphy struggled with communication as a boy. Murphy may have had a poor social life because of this. While he has had several complicated romantic relationships, he has also been able to solve these problems. Elaine, his girlfriend, proposed to him at a Irish restaurant during one his matches.
Ray Reardon was his coach when he was 15 years old. Following that, he worked with Steve Prest until 2006. Willie Thorne coached him for the 2007/2008 season. He won the Challenge Tour's fourth and third events.
Murphy won China's Wuxi Classic. Murphy was elected to the elite top 16 after that win. His next appearance came at the inaugural Northern Ireland Trophy. Despite having only five frames of qualifying, he reached the quarterfinals to beat teenager Luca Brecel.
He then won the German Masters Championship, the Ruhr Championship, as well the inaugural Northern Ireland Trophy. He was ranked third for the entire 2008/2009 year. He reached the semi-finals at the UK Championship and Shanghai Masters during the same season.