The recently concluded Indian Open snooker event in Vishakhapatnam saw a galaxy of leading players of the sport taking part. One of the big names featured in the tournament was former World Champion Shaun Murphy.
The Englishman is currently ranked No 4 in the world. He is known for having one of the best straight cue actions in the sport. For him, this wasn't just because of talent but also the hard work he put in right from his childhood.
"I was quite a naturally gifted player as a child. But I spent many hours in practice under the watchful eye of my father. We studied all the old snooker coaching books going back to 1920's and 1930's and collected them. I also spent three to five hours a day after school practicing from a very young age," explained the 2005 World Champion.
Murphy elaborated on his early initiation into the sport and the passion he developed for it from a very young age.
"From nine years of age, I decided that snooker is what I wanted to do in my life. My father used to take me to all the tournaments and we used to watch them on the television. We would be reading about it, watching it, playing it, thinking about it, I was completely obsessed with snooker. So, I feel very lucky that I have been able to make a career out of this game," the native of Harlow said.
Many experts have opined that Murphy became tactically more astute post his World Championship victory. He completely agrees with this view.
"Definitely. When I won the World Championship in 2005, I was more of a rough diamond. Since then, my game has definitely improved. Today, 12 years on, I am a much better player than I was in 2005," the three time World Championship finalist concurred.
Murphy also explained that like other sports, snooker also gets affected by local conditions.
"It's very much dependent on weather and humidity. The cloth that we use on the snooker table is made 100% of pure wool.
“So, if humidity rises above 40% in the room then the cloth takes on moisture. It starts to get damp. That in turn affects the way the ball moves around the table. So, you constantly have to adapt your play to how the weather conditions are affecting the table on any given day."
But the Englishman also felt that the arrangements made for Indian Open helped the players in a big way. "The table conditions in this tournament have been first-class. It's quite hot and humid here in India but somehow the tournament staff have managed to keep the humidity out of the snooker arena. The air-conditioning is doing the job to keep the room cool. Not overheating and keeping the dampness out of the room. The table is playing first-class. We are seeing a lot of good breaks, there is good snooker being played and that is partly down to the fact that the table conditions are so nice," the veteran revealed.
Apart from winning many titles, Murphy has also created controversies with his comments about rival players over the years. But the man with seven ranking titles in his cupboard says he is no longer as outspoken as before.
"I was always taught to be honest. I try not to be offensive. I don't want to offend anybody. I don't like upsetting people. I don't like or enjoy confrontation but I have views on pretty much everything. My wife thinks I am probably the most opinionated person she has ever met.
“It's just the way I am but I have matured a lot over the years. I am now a father myself. So, I see the world through a slightly different perspective now. So, I am trying to mellow as I grow older. But I still have my opinions."
But he accepts that some of his comments were not necessary. "Well, I wish I could go into a time-machine and travel back in time. Some of the things I have said over the years weren't great. They were a little bit sharp. Sometimes, you have your opinions and you should keep them to yourselves. Somethings don't need to be said. Unfortunately, no one has invented time-travel yet so, I am stuck with it," Murphy concluded.
