Shaun Murphy targets world No. 1 spot after winning Championship League snooker with final victory over Mark Williams

Shaun Murphy completed a 3-0 win over three-time world champion Mark Williams to claim victory at the Championship League, the season’s first ranking event in Leicester.

In his fourth major final of the year, the free-flowing world No. 7 picked up from where he left off last season after claiming victories at the Players Championship and Tour Championship by securing the title for the first time and a £33,000 winner’s cheque.

Murphy had managed to edge out the unbeaten Robert Milkins – who defeated him 9-7 in the Welsh Open final last season – with a century in the third frame seeing him lead 2-1 to guarantee a 2-2 draw he needed as his opponent chased a win to reach the final.

Having earlier 2-2 drew with Xiao Guodong and defeated Chris Wakelin 3-1, it enabled Murphy to claim top spot in Group A by a point ahead of Shoot Out champion Wakelin.

After winning a tight opener against Williams in the final, Murphy produced breaks of 73 and 69 – the match-winning break coming off a terrific piece of opportunism in sinking a tough red to green pocket – to recover a 30-0 deficit in seeing out the match.

It was their first meeting since the 2019 China Championship final which Murphy edged 10-9.

“I am not sure what the secret is, but I am doing something right. I shared at the end of last season my season goals for last season. I would be very keen on making goals and setting targets.

“Achieving number one on the world rankings is something I’ve never achieved, but it is on the list of goals I would like to hit this season and this has been the best possible start.”

Williams booked his spot in the final with a 3-1 win over Noppon Saengkham having earlier drew 2-2 with Sam Craigie before completing a 3-1 win over Cao Yupeng to finish Group B on seven points.

Murphy takes on 2006 Crucible winner Graeme Dott in his first match at the European Masters in Nuremberg (LIVE on Eurosport) between August 22-27.

World champion Luca Brecel, world No. 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and John Higgins were among a number of leading figures who opted to miss the Championship League, but are in the draw for the European Masters, the season’s second major event in Germany.

• 1. Shaun Murphy 5
• 2. Chris Wakelin 4
• 3. Robert Milkins 3
• 4. Xiao Guodong 2

• 1. Mark Williams 7
• 2. Sam Craigie 5
• 3. Noppon Saengkham 4
• 4. Cao Yupeng 0

• Shaun Murphy 3-0 Mark Williams