Shaun Murphy's new break-off, honed with Peter Ebdon, stuns Higgins en route to World Championship final

Key facts

• Shaun Murphy, 43, reached his fifth World Championship final by beating Fan Zhengyi, Xiao Guodong, defending champion Zhao Xintong, and four-time winner John Higgins.
• Murphy adopted a new break-off technique—hitting the third red—to apply immediate pressure and deny opponents a 'shot to nothing'.
• In the semi-final, Higgins had only five attempts at pots from the 16 frames Murphy broke off, while Murphy gave up double that from his own break.
• Murphy brought 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon into his corner in late 2024, seeking an extra dimension to his game in his forties.
• In January 2025, Murphy won the Masters, his first Triple Crown success in a decade, and later added the British Open.
• Murphy said Ebdon 'stripped me back to brick in a very short space of time' and 'got right to the heart of the issue very quickly'.
• During the semi-final, Ebdon was audibly clapping from the balcony before the cue ball reached its intended position, and took notes after the first shot.

A new break-off that broke Higgins

Shaun Murphy is one win away from a second world title, 21 years after his first, and his path to the final has been paved by a tactical innovation that left John Higgins helpless. The 43-year-old has adopted a break-off shot that targets the third red, a deliberate departure from convention designed to deny opponents any 'shot to nothing'—an opportunistic pot that also leaves the cue ball safe. The result was a semi-final in which Higgins managed just five attempts at pots from the 16 frames Murphy broke off, while the Scot gave up twice that many from his own break. Higgins, a four-time world champion, was blunt in his assessment. 'His break-off was just too tough for me to deal with throughout the whole match,' he said. 'He'll need to tell us his secret.' The new approach has become a talking point in the snooker world, and it is clearly working: Murphy has already beaten Fan Zhengyi, Xiao Guodong, defending champion Zhao Xintong, and Higgins to set up a final against China's Wu Yize.

The Ebdon effect: from brick to contender

The tactical sharpening is part of a broader transformation that began in late 2024, when Murphy recruited Peter Ebdon, the 2002 world champion, as a mentor. Ebdon, known for his relentless determination and tactical acumen, has worked with Murphy on confidence, work rate off the table, and the finer points of match play. The partnership bore fruit almost instantly. In January 2025, Murphy won the Masters, his first Triple Crown title in a decade, and he later added the British Open to his trophy cabinet. Murphy described the collaboration in striking terms. 'I feel like Peter Ebdon has stripped me back to brick in a very short space of time,' he told Metro. 'He saw through some of the outer shell and into my soul and has stripped me of all my defences and got right to the heart of the issue very quickly, it's amazing. The partnership has borne fruit far quicker than I could have imagined and hopefully we're just getting started. There's plenty of room in my trophy cabinet.'

The Force in the arena: Ebdon's visible presence

Ebdon's influence extends beyond strategy sessions; it is felt in the arena itself. During the first session of Murphy's semi-final against Higgins, Ebdon sat on the balcony and made his presence known. At one point, Murphy played a safety shot from baulk, and Ebdon began clapping enthusiastically before the white ball had even passed the blue spot. The rest of the crowd seemed confused, but the cue ball duly returned to nestle on the baulk cushion, vindicating his early applause. Another seemingly straightforward pink to the middle pocket also drew a hearty clap from Ebdon, with no one else joining in. Between these bursts, he scribbled notes in a book, starting after just one shot of the match. Murphy said he feels Ebdon's influence while at the table. 'Yeah, totally,' he said. 'I think that's where him being a former player, and somebody who's walked out into that room and been the man to walk away with the trophy, he appreciates just how hard it is.'

A decade-long drought and a late-career reinvention

Murphy's first world title came in 2005, when he was 22, a surprise champion who emerged from qualifying. Since then, he has remained a top player but has often fallen short of the game's highest honours. The Masters victory in January ended a ten-year wait for a Triple Crown title, a drought that had weighed on him. Now, with Ebdon's help, he believes he is a 'better and more astute player' than the man who lifted the trophy two decades ago. Part of that evolution has been a willingness to experiment. Murphy has worked on the tactical side of his game, used multiple cues at tournaments, and now adopted the new break-off. The approach is designed to avoid protracted safety battles and to put opponents under pressure from the first shot. It is a calculated risk, but one that has paid off handsomely in Sheffield.

The final frontier: Wu Yize stands in the way

Murphy's opponent in the final is Wu Yize, a Chinese player who has emerged as a new star. Wu reached the final after a dramatic semi-final in which his opponent, Mark Allen, missed a simple black to win. The match will be a test of Murphy's renewed tactical discipline against Wu's attacking flair. For Murphy, the stakes are clear: a second world title would cement his legacy as one of the greats of his generation, while a loss would leave him to wonder what might have been. Ebdon's role in the final will be crucial. His experience of winning the title in 2002, and his deep understanding of the pressures of the Crucible, could give Murphy an edge. As Murphy said, Ebdon 'appreciates just how hard it is' to walk out into that room and be the man to walk away with the trophy.

A partnership that could define an era

The Murphy-Ebdon partnership is still young, but it has already produced remarkable results. If Murphy wins the world title, it will be one of the most dramatic late-career revivals in snooker history. Even if he falls short, the collaboration has shown that experience and tactical nous can still triumph in a sport increasingly dominated by younger players. For now, Murphy is focused on the task at hand. He has the break-off, the mentor, and the belief. The snooker world will be watching to see if the Magician can conjure one more piece of magic.

The bottom line

• Shaun Murphy has reached the World Championship final after adopting a new break-off technique that limits opponents' scoring opportunities.
• The technique, hitting the third red, was a key factor in his semi-final victory over John Higgins, who struggled to mount attacks.
• Murphy's partnership with 2002 champion Peter Ebdon, begun in late 2024, has revitalised his career, yielding the Masters and British Open titles.
• Ebdon's influence is both strategic and emotional; he provides tactical advice, confidence, and a visible presence in the arena.
• Murphy faces China's Wu Yize in the final, with a second world title at stake 21 years after his first.