Shaun Murphy Ends Zhao Xintong's Title Defence at World Championship
Fast facts
- Category: Sports
- Language: EN
- Published: 2026-04-29 14:07 UTC
- Sources: The Guardian Sport
Shaun Murphy has stormed into the world championship semi-finals in Sheffield after defeating Zhao Xintong 13-10. This marks Zhao's exit from the tournament and adds to the list of players who have fallen victim to the 'Crucible curse'. BBC reports that Murphy is set for a showdown against Mark Allen, while The Guardian notes that Zhao joins 20 other players to be affected by this phenomenon.