Murphy dampens Gould debut

Shaun Murphy was busy proving his title credentials but for Martin Gould it was an unlikely 'bad day at the office' on his Masters debut.

The Magician met the Pinner potter at Alexandra Palace and while many predicted a close encounter,  Murphy's experience told with an emphatic 6-2 win.

Picture by Monique Limbos

There's no doubt both of these players boast class in abundance. They're two of the game's best long potters and have silky smooth cue actions.

Barring the miss of a simple green in frame two Gould would have been first to show this, opening a 2-0 lead.

As it was, Murphy nicked the frame on the counter-attack to level and won three straight frames after as he went on to dominate.

While Gould struggled to string his best play together in front of an army of fans, Murphy was in the groove and proving why he could yet lift the trophy this week.

An impressive knock of 139 sealed a super win and polished off a great display.

Martin will be hurting from the defeat because he knows he can do better. But this isn't the last of him. He'll be back at the Masters next year to show what he's really made of.

For Murphy, he progressed to his fifth Masters quarter-final but has yet go further. His time could be now.