Steve Sutcliffe

BBC Sport journalist

Shaun Murphy missed out on a maximum 147 break as he secured a place in the semi-finals of the Masters with a superb 6-2 victory over Neil Robertson at Alexandra Palace.

Leading 5-2, Murphy knocked in 15 reds and 15 blacks to reach 120 with only the colours remaining but ended up snookering himself behind the blue and the chance was lost.

It would have been a magical conclusion to a near faultless display from the 42-year-old Englishman, who will now play Mark Allen in the semi-finals on Saturday after the Northern Irishman defeated Mark Selby 6-2.

Breaks of 81, 88 and 104 underscored a fantastic and fluent opening to the match but once Allen pinched a protracted and pivotal fourth frame to prevent Selby from drawing level at 2-2, he always looked the stronger.

Earlier, Murphy had compiled breaks of 90, 67 and 66 to establish a 4-1 advantage over Robertson.

While two-time winner Robertson made a superb century break in the next, a run of 82 carried Murphy further clear before he sealed his win.

“That was somewhere near my best. I am delighted,” Murphy told BBC Sport.

“I couldn’t breathe [going for the 147]. I was very nervous. One of my targets for the season was to make a max in a Triple Crown event and it was a good chance.

“It was exciting and would have been a good present because today is my mum’s birthday.”

While Selby struggled to find the rhythm to his play that had helped him dispatch Ali Carter 6-1, he was also unfortunate with the run of the balls on occasions.

In contrast Allen, who won the event in 2018, enjoyed numerous moments of good fortune but also demonstrated the effectiveness of his more measured tactical approach to dominate in that area.

He ruthlessly finished off the fourth and sixth frames to maintain the pressure on the three-time winner and prove himself a merited winner.

“I felt I played better than Mark, but the luck definitely helped me,” Allen told BBC Sport.

“It started out a really good game, the first three frames it was three breaks and then it got a bit scrappy. We both missed a few shots but I can definitely say that is the most luck I have had in a match in a long time. It was ridiculous at times.

“Even within that [sixth frame] I played a few bad ones and got away with it. There were two frames I had no right to win.”

Selby, who has not reached the semi-finals of the tournament since 2014, added: “I was chasing the game and nothing was happening.

“He won every single one of the close frames. Sometimes you just think it is not meant to be. After the interval I don’t feel like I got too many clear-cut chances.”

Murphy, whose sole triumph in the tournament came a decade ago when he defeated Robertson in the final, set the tone for a high-quality contest with break of 90 in the opening frame.

When the Australian replied with break of 79 in the next, it briefly appeared as though a classic nip-and-tuck contest was in store.

However, that did not materialise with Murphy pinching the pivotal fifth frame by a point on the black and barely missing a pot once among the balls.

When he did, a black off it’s spot in the sixth frame, he was heavily punished as his opponent constructed a 108 break to get back within two frames.

Robertson, was unable though to mount the sort of recovery that enabled him to come from 5-1 down against John Higgins in the first round and was seen willing Murphy on at the end as he went agonisingly close to a ninth 147 in his career.

“I could not believe it. It was a real shame for everyone watching. I was gutted for Shaun,” added Robertson.

“I played great and when two players are playing really well it is the smallest or margins that can be the difference. You have to take your hat off to Shaun for how well he played.”

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