Shaun Murphy delivered a mesmerising performance in his Masters semi-final victory over Mark Allen on Saturday, achieving a flawless 147 break that secured his place in the final.

The 2015 Masters champion triumphed 6-3 against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen at Alexandra Palace, producing snooker’s perfect scoring feat in a match filled with high drama and exceptional skill.

Murphy, 42, took a 3-2 lead after recovering from a slow start, then proceeded to deliver a precision-perfect break, potting every ball with unwavering accuracy to complete the coveted maximum score.

This remarkable achievement came just two days after a near-miss in his 6-2 quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson, where he accidentally snookered himself behind the blue ball while on 120. However, there were no such errors this time as Murphy picked off three reds near the pink before calmly and methodically potting all the remaining colours.

The crowd erupted with applause and cheers as Murphy sank the final black, marking only the sixth 147 break in Masters history. The moment not only etched his name further into snooker’s records but also positioned him to claim a £15,000 prize for the tournament’s highest break.

Emotional Reaction and Career Reflection

The former world champion was visibly emotional after achieving the extraordinary feat and later described it as one of the greatest moments of his career.

“I can’t believe it. It was an incredible moment, one of the best of my snooker career,” Murphy told the BBC. “I’ve dreamed of making a 147 in a BBC event since I was a child.

“I had a great opportunity the other day and totally messed it up. Today, the crowd were absolutely amazing, and their support really spurred me on,” he added.

Praise from His Opponent

Mark Allen, who started the match strongly but was ultimately outclassed, praised Murphy’s performance and expressed admiration for witnessing the historic moment.

“I started the match very well, but all credit to Shaun. I thought he was much better than me today,” said Allen. “From 2-0 down, it was all about Shaun. He was flawless—absolutely no complaints.

“It was fantastic being part of the 147. We’ve had our differences recently, but when he reached 73, I was rooting for him to complete it.”

Final Awaits

Murphy now awaits the winner of the second semi-final between world number one Judd Trump and reigning world champion Kyren Wilson. The Masters final promises to be an electrifying clash as Murphy chases another prestigious title to add to his illustrious career.