Shaun Murphy Names Snooker’s Most Hot-Tempered Player
Shaun Murphy, the recent Masters champion, has singled out Ryan Day as the player on the snooker circuit you would least want to provoke. The comment came after Day’s tense World Snooker Championship first-round match against Luca Brecel, the flamboyant Belgian who stormed back from a 5-1 deficit to clinch a 10-7 victory.
Despite building a commanding lead, Day struggled to maintain his composure as Brecel, self-styled as the “Ronaldinho of snooker,” wowed the Crucible crowd with an array of trick shots. Murphy noted that Day, known as “Dynamite” due to his explosive temperament rather than his surname, is not one to be trifled with.
“Ryan is the last player on the tour who you’d want to wind up,” Murphy stated in a BBC interview. “Luca’s entitled to play his game, but it could be the catalyst that sparks Ryan. He probably took himself off to give himself a talking to. He wouldn’t like Luca taking the mickey out of him, even if that wasn’t the intention.”
Six-time world champion Steve Davis also observed a shift in Day’s performance as the pressure mounted. Despite starting strongly with a century break, Day began to struggle with his positional play whenever Brecel left him an opportunity.
“Every time that Ryan got a chance, he messed up the position,” Davis remarked. “He’s probably thinking that he has to win the frame to kill this guy off because he’s missing. He’s finding himself in a very strange scenario.”
Brecel, who spontaneously entered the tournament just 24 hours after a holiday, is known for his laid-back approach to the sport. In a pre-tournament interview, he admitted, “I just don’t really think a lot about winning tournaments. I’m more of a Ronaldinho type of player in snooker, so it’s all about just entertaining and fun and also having a nice life around it.”
Key Takeaways:
- Shaun Murphy has identified Ryan Day as the snooker player with the shortest temper on the professional circuit.
- Day struggled to maintain his composure during his World Snooker Championship match against the entertaining Luca Brecel, who made a dramatic comeback to win 10-7.
- Steve Davis noted a shift in Day’s performance as the pressure mounted, with the Welshman struggling with his positional play.
- Brecel, known for his relaxed approach to the game, likens himself to the football star Ronaldinho, prioritizing entertainment and enjoyment over winning.
