The Masters in London is the first truly high-profile tournament of the season and it is played in a straight knockout format. The best-of-11-frames last-16 match between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize looks like one of the most intriguing ties at the start of the event. The longer distance and freshness after the break increase the level of unpredictability.
Shaun Murphy
The world number seven finished last season inconsistently: four defeats in 10 matches and an early elimination at the Scottish Open, losing 1:4 to Stuart Bingham. However, Shaun Murphy’s class has not gone anywhere: he still has a high percentage of long-range breaks, solid tactical play and huge experience on the TV tables. After a break the veteran traditionally improves as a match goes on, but he often spends the opening frames finding his rhythm.
Wu Yize
The world number thirteen continues his steady progress. He made a strong start to the season, produced a good result at the International Championship and suffered only three defeats in his last 10 matches at the end of the year. In Scotland Wu Yize came through two rounds before losing to Matthew Selt, who was in top form at the time. He is reliable in positional play and rarely loses multiple frames in a row.
Shaun Murphy vs Wu Yize Prediction
Shaun Murphy won the only previous head-to-head meeting, but it was a hard-fought contest. The best-of-11 format, tournament pressure and lack of match practice in January all increase the likelihood of a long match.
