2024 Shanghai Masters Snooker Final Preview: Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy

A runner-up in 2012, 2015 and 2017, Judd Trump will be appearing in the final for the fourth time, while Shaun Murphy is back in the showpiece having been there in 2019. Two of snooker’s most decorated champions, this is one title that has alluded both of them, so far.

• 2024 Shanghai Masters: Results, format, prize money, how to watch

This year’s £825,000 invitational event at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium has been a very entertaining one - expected given the elite field on show - and there were a number of surprises early on, although the last four was exclusively made up of players within the world’s top eight.

Trump’s route to the final

A winner of five titles last season, this was Trump's first outing of the 2024/25 campaign having skipped the Championship League. The world number two has been largely comfortable throughout the event with a frame aggregate across his three matches of 22-7.

In terms of frames - apart from 0-0 - Trump has always been in front this tournament. He made two centuries and three half centuries as he saw off Mark Williams 6-2 in the last 16, and repeated that score-line over Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals as he hit a ton and two breaks in the 70s.

In the semi-finals, Trump was the player to stop defending five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan's 21-match winning streak in the competition with a 10-3 win.

The 34-year-old compiled four tons during the encounter and enjoyed a magic spell in the first session where he notched up 443 unanswered points to take control.

Murphy’s path to the title match

Murphy's latest challenge in Shanghai saw him come from behind early on to defeat John Higgins, 6-2. 'The Magician' won four successive frames from 2-1 down to do the main bulk of damage and produced at least a break of 55 in every frame he won.

Against Zhou Yuelong in the last eight, Murphy took a firm grip of proceedings early on and ran out a 6-2 winner with breaks of 57, 70, 66, 61 and 69.

In contrast, Murphy emerged from a memorable semi-final tie with former champion Mark Selby, 10-8, having conjured up an impressive comeback from four frames down.

Career Triple Crown winner Murphy recovered from 6-2 and 8-5 behind, putting on one of his finest sessions of snooker in recent times during the evening's play during which he crafted four centuries.

Trump v Murphy: Head to head

Trump definitely starts as favourite for the two-session, best-of-21 frames showpiece where the victor collects a £210,000 top prize.

If you include all their previous professional head-to-head matches, Trump leads 2 to 1 with a strong 26-13 record.

This will be the third time they have met in a main event final; Murphy won at the Gibraltar Open (4-2) and Trump triumphed at the 2019 International Championship in China (10-3).

Trump has won all three of their most recent meetings on tour.