Shaun Murphy continued his mission to win the Brandon Parker Trophy with a 6-1 defeat of Neil Robertson to make the final of the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin.
The Magician has only appeared in the title match at the iconic Tempodrom once previously, back in 2015 when he lost out 9-7 to Mark Selby.
Murphy is aiming to honour his close friend and former manager Parker by lifting the trophy named after him. Parker was instrumental in taking the German Masters to Berlin and promoting it, but he sadly passed away in 2020.
It has been a rapid turnaround in form for 43-year-old Murphy, who admitted he was disconsolate after suffering a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Wu Yize at the Masters, where he was defending champion. The last three rounds have seen him overcome Robertson, Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen by a collective 16-2 scoreline. Murphy will now play either Judd Trump or Ali Carter tomorrow for the £100,000 top prize.
Robertson’s hunt for a maiden German Masters triumph goes on. The Australian was runner-up to Trump in the 2020 final, but was comprehensively denied a return to the title match on this occasion.
Both players were greeted by a rapturous reception in front of over 2,400 fans as they walked out this afternoon. However, Murphy was ruthless on his charge to victory. A 122 break gave him the opener, before Robertson temporarily restored parity. Further century contributions of 102 and 106 had 2005 World Champion Murphy 3-1 up at the mid-session.
When play resumed, a further three on the bounce – including breaks of 51 and 66 – saw Murphy get himself over the line and into the final.
Murphy said: “I think whenever you go up against one of the game’s legends, which for me Neil is one of, it makes things very straightforward. You know you need to play your best. For a lot of that match I was close to my best. I had a bit of luck at the right moments and that always helps. I’m delighted to have won.
“The crowd have been so warm to me. The fans here are exceptional and they make the event. The one table set up here gives you such an ovation. It was good to play so well after all that. It is about taking the trophy home tomorrow now though.
“I get emotional thinking about Brandon all the time so the fact I’m out there playing won’t change anything. It might give me a bit of escapism actually. I’ll just concentrate on the snooker. It would be wonderful to take the Brandon Parker Trophy home. It would mean so much and possibly more to me than any other player on the tour. In Ali or Judd I have two great players stood in my way.“
World number one Judd Trump scored a comprehensive 6-2 win over Ali Carter to make the final of the Machineseeker German Masters, where he will face Shaun Murphy.
It’s a fifth final in this event for Trump, who has lifted the title a record three times in 2020, 2021 and 2024. He and Murphy will go toe to toe over the best of 19 frames tomorrow, with the Brandon Parker Trophy and a top prize of £100,000 on the line.
The Ace in the Pack is seeking to end a title drought which extends back to the 2024 UK Championship. Having failed to secure silverware in 2025, he has an early opportunity to put that right in 2026.
Trump has dominated Murphy in recent times, having won eight of their previous nine meetings. However, Murphy was victorious when they last clashed at this season’s British Open, an event the Magician went on to win.
Defeat for Carter means he falls short of another final at the iconic Tempodrom. The Captain took home the trophy in 2013 and 2023, but Trump proved to be a step too far this year.
The start of the match proved to be pivotal this evening, with 36-year-old Trump steaming out of the blocks. He pounced on some uncharacteristic Carter mistakes to make contributions of 52, 67 and 87 and lead 4-0 at the interval.
After play resumed Carter battled back into contention, with two on the bounce to cut his arrears in half and trail 4-2. Trump crucially stopped the fightback by claiming a tight seventh to lead 5-2 and got over the line to reach the 52nd ranking final of his career.
“Ali missed a couple early on and I think in the end missed one too many and I was able to punish him and put him under pressure. He always puts up a fight and tries to the very end. He made it difficult at 4-2, but I managed to nick the last two,” said 30-time ranking event winner Trump.
“It is an incredible arena so whenever you play in a semi-final or a final here it is a real privilege to be out there. It is always nice to perform well in that environment.
“Shaun has been brilliant throughout. He has won a lot of comfortable games and he has scored very heavily. I will have to perform like I have so far and my safety will need to be good. It should be an incredible final.
“Any tournament you can win multiple times, you have a different feeling when you turn up. This is one that is positioned just after the Masters and I always look forward to it. This tournament brings the best out of me and is why I have such a good record here.“
It is indeed an incredible arena when we are down to one table and the German fans are enthusiast but respectful of the players. They appreciate what they get to see.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 