Shaun Murphy Stages Stunning Comeback to Beat John Higgins

Posted : 05 December 2025

Shaun Murphy produced one of the finest comebacks of his career to defeat John Higgins 6–5 and book his place in the quarter-finals of the UK Championship. The Masters champion fought back from 4–1 down in a gripping contest at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship, keeping his hopes alive of reclaiming the title he last won in 2008.

Higgins, a three-time UK champion and winner of 33 ranking titles, controlled large portions of the match and appeared to be on course for his first quarter-final appearance in York since 2019. The encounter opened with Murphy threatening a maximum break, potting 11 reds and 10 blacks before missing the final black of the sequence and settling for an 81.

Momentum then swung firmly toward Higgins, who compiled breaks of 70, 70, and 78 to take a commanding 3–1 lead heading into the interval. He extended that advantage to 4–1 when play resumed, seemingly tightening his grip on the match.

But Murphy refused to fade. He clawed back frames six and seven to reduce the deficit to 4–3, before Higgins responded with a polished break of 74 to move within one frame of victory. Still, the Magician had more to conjure. Breaks of 89 and 53 from the 2005 world champion levelled the contest at 5–5, forcing a tense decider.

The final frame became a tactical battle, with both players navigating awkward ball positions. Murphy controlled most of the exchanges, but Higgins had a late chance on the yellow only to miss a tricky pot to the green pocket. Murphy seized the moment, drilling a long yellow and clearing the colours to complete a dramatic turnaround. He will now face Zhang Anda of China in the last eight.

Murphy described the win as extraordinary, saying: “It’s honestly one of the best victories of my career. When you're up against one of the legends of the game, you have to give absolutely everything. I was standing behind shots thinking, ‘What would John do?’ He and Mark Selby are the best tactical players ever. I’ve tried to improve that side of my game, and tonight it paid off. Winning the Masters earlier this year reminded me I can still perform on the big stage.”

On the adjacent table, Barry Hawkins delivered a dominant display to sweep past qualifier Elliot Slessor 6–0. The 46-year-old, runner-up in last year's UK Championship, showed the form that carried him to the final in 2023, achieving a 96% pot success rate in a flawless performance. Breaks of 94, 87, and 73 sealed the whitewash and set up a quarter-final meeting with close friend Mark Selby.

Reflecting on the win, Hawkins joked: “It’s an easy one next!” before adding, “Mark and I are great friends, but once we’re out there, he’ll be trying to take my head off. He looks back to his best, so I’ll need to play at the same level—if not better—than tonight.”

Shaun Murphy Stages Stunning Comeback to Beat John Higgins

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