Shaun Murphy has brought a new weapon with him to this World Snooker Championship and it is working very nicely, having reached the final for a fifth time.
The Magician has been brilliant in Sheffield so far, narrowly beating Fan Zhengyi, hammering Xiao Guodong, ousting tournament favourite Zhao Xintong and edging the legend John Higgins.
He is bidding for a second world title 21 years after his first, but Mark Allen stands in his way in the final, with the Northern Irishman looking to win his first World Championship crown.
Allen will have to contend with Murphy’s innovative break-off, which is proving to be a tremendous addition to his arsenal.
The Magician started using an unusual break at the recent Tour Championship, hitting the third red in the pack, rather than the usual break which catches the last red.
He has been reliably leaving the white near the baulk cushion, spreading the reds open, but without leaving a shot to nothing.
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Master tactician Higgins was very impressed with the move, saying: ‘He was just on me all the time and his break-off was just too tough for me to deal with throughout the whole match.’
Asked if players will be copying Murphy, the Scot said: ‘He’ll need to tell us his secret.’
The Magician has revealed how he and coach, former world champion, Peter Ebdon, came up with the unusual break.
They did not invent it, but brought it back to the fore after a long time out of fashion.
‘We both were just in the snooker room at the house a few weeks ago before the Tour Champs and we said, let’s go and do a few hours. I said as we went in, I’m convinced there’s a better shot than the one we’ve been playing for 100 years,’ said Murphy.
‘It’s a hundred years of professional snooker this year and the break-off hasn’t changed.
‘You always leave the standard shot to nothing or you drag one up over the middle. I said to Peter, I’m convinced there’s a better shot in there.
‘I’m not sure my shot is better and it’s certainly not new, Steve Davis was doing that throughout the 80s. The most famous frame of all, the ’85 [World Championship] last frame, that’s how he broke off. I haven’t created anything new.
‘It’s a bit embarrassing when you go in-off or hit the blue or whatever. But it certainly poses a few problems. Since I’ve been doing it I’ve lost one frame from the break-off. So that’s a massive improvement.’
Neil Robertson hasn’t even faced the Murphy break-off, but he has been watching it and likes what he has seen.
‘I think Shaun’s really onto something there with the break-off because it stops all the negative exchange at the start of a frame,’ said the Australian after defeat to John Higgins in the quarter-finals.
‘And you never leave a long red on where it’s a shot to nothing. So that’s something I’m actually excited to work on because I think Shaun’s onto something new for the first time in 40 years of breaking-off differently.’
1997 world champion said on the BBC of the Magician’s new trick: ‘It’s such an aggressive break, but he’s used it to wonderful advantage throughout this championship.
‘John Higgins came to the table, lots of open reds, he played a safety shot, left Shaun a pot and sat in his chair for the rest of the frame. It’s such a wonderful advantage.’