'The animal has got stronger mentally'- Steve Davis and Shaun Murphy discuss new heights for snooker


Davis and Murphy - the latter secured the second Masters crown of his career later in the week - were both working for the BBC during its coverage of snooker's most prestigious invitational, and sat in the studio together analysing the quarter-final match between Judd Trump and Ding Junhui at the Alexandra Palace.
One of the best matches of the tournament, Ding made three breaks in the 70s during the opening four frames as he went into the mid-session interval 3-1 up. However, on resumption, world number one Trump was dazzling as he compiled breaks of 97, 53, 125, 62 and 75 in a five-frame burst for a 6-3 comeback victory. That streak began in frame five when Trump bravely pulled off several impressive shots to get himself back into intention and with momentum on his side.
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That effort - and his overall play in recent years - received huge praise from both Davis and Murphy following the frame, with six-time World Champion in the 1980s Davis saying this was the level of play that top cueists now require.
'The Nugget' said: "Whilst Judd Trump is one of the astonishing players we've ever seen in the game, the general standard of play is this is what you have to do.
"You have to be more aggressive than ever before in the game of snooker. I still maintain - not every player in the game agrees - but I still maintain the standard now is by far better than it has ever been in the game.
"It's a hybrid of what it is, it's the evolution of the species, it's got stronger and stronger, they walk the high wire better than they've ever done before.
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"OK, the tables are slightly different, balls are probably more reactive, but it's just the fact that the animal has got stronger mentally. This is what you have got to do in the game now, you've got to be more aggressive."
Murphy, who won his World Championship title at the Crucible 24 years on from when Davis claimed his first there, was in agreement, and answered the question he was asked on whether Trump was now setting a new bar for the sport.
"That's what's happened throughout the game's history hasn't it" said Murphy.
"Reardon took it to a new level, then Steve took it, Stephen took, Ronnie's took it, and Judd continues to stretch what's thought possible.
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"One of the things that has changed in mind is that reluctance from a player to leave the table and it's almost like neither player wants to blink, neither wants to take a backward step because you're trying to demonstrate to your opponent I'm coming for you. I'm not frightened, and it's sometimes, even if you play what might be termed 'the right shot' but you play a safety shot, it gives your opponent the impression that you're struggling and you can't afford to do that out there."
Before heading back to the live coverage, Davis followed up with "And, the chances you get because the safety is so good, the chances you get are slimmer, so you have to decide that that's maybe the best chance you're going to get in that particular frame so you have to.
"The 50/50 shot is now a different beast. The 50/50 shot that we thought was maybe 'oh, don't take that on, it's risky' - now you've got to take it on."
In recent years, we have seen several lower ranked players come through unexpectedly and claim ranking event titles. Just a few weeks ago, world number 84 Lei Peifan won the Scottish Open, while Jordan Brown and Fan Zhengyi both defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan in ranking event finals earlier this decade.
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At the last World Championship, three of the four semi-finalists were qualifiers, and the year before, Si Jiahui threatened to become snooker's youngest-ever world champion from pretty much nowhere.
These points seem to suggest that the overall strength and depth of the professional tour is better than ever before.
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