Shaun Murphy clenched his fist, then shook hands with a few people in the front row of the Crucible Theater. The 43-year-old Englishman, who is known in the scene as “The Magician”, the magician at the snooker table, took the reigning world champion out of the tournament on Wednesday afternoon. Murphy beat China’s Zhao Xintong – thanks in part to an almost perfect final session – with 13:10. In his sixth World Cup semi-final, Murphy will face another former world champion: Scot John Higgins also beat Australia’s Neil Robertson 13:10.
