Shaun Murphy Says He Is Willing to Sell His Magician Nickname to Chang Bingyu

Shaun Murphy said he is willing to sell his nickname to Chang Bingyu after securing a place in the Champion of Champions semi-finals in Leicester, following victories over Chang Bingyu and Ronnie O’Sullivan, the Daily Express reported.

Murphy booked his spot in the last four of the competition after enjoying a pair of whitewash victories at the tournament. He defeated Chang Bingyu 6-0 before recording a 4-0 win against O’Sullivan.

The 44-year-old admitted his form had struggled at times this season before returning to his best at the event. The win over Chang was particularly notable given Murphy suffered a 4-0 defeat against the rising Chinese star earlier in the year at the Welsh Open.

Before the contest, Murphy suggested Chang could buy his famous nickname off him. Murphy is nicknamed ‘The Magician’, but joked that Chang’s ability to sink balls at the table makes the moniker more suitable for his rival.

“My nickname is the Magician at the moment but I could sell it him if he wants! He just makes all the balls disappear,” Murphy said, according to the Daily Express.

Reflecting on his performance after the match, Murphy told ITV that the matches presented starkly contrasting challenges. He said that he and O’Sullivan attempted to outmanoeuvre each other in a tactical affair dictated by mutual respect.

“It might have looked like I breezed through, but it was a bit tougher than that.” “They were very contrasting matches.” “Ronnie and I tried to outmanoeuvre each other.” “I think when two players who are…I wouldn’t say evenly matched,” Murphy said.

Discussing his encounter with Chang, Murphy acknowledged the specific threat posed by his opponent. He said that he had to keep Chang under pressure throughout the match to avoid a repeat of their previous encounter.

“Then tonight, we joked about it before, but nobody knows the power of Chang Bingyu better than me.” “I knew I had to keep him in the long grass tonight, and for the most part, I thought I did my job well.” “I had a little chuckle to myself when I scored more than one point, which is all I got in the Welsh Open earlier in the year.” “And it was a good one!”

Murphy will now advance to the semi-final stage of the Champion of Champions event to face either Wu Yize or the other remaining competitor.

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