The snooker star, 42 who won the Masters in January, has enjoyed a strong season and will be a contender at the World Championship, which begins next month. Murphy recently lost to an inspired Neil Robertson in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
The Australian prevailed 6-5 and went on to thrash fellow former world champion Stuart Bingham in the final. There is no shame in losing to a player like Robertson, but Murphy was appalled by some of the abhorrent messages he received on social media afterwards. Presumably from disgruntled gamblers, the abuse even included insults about family members.
Speaking on his onefourseven Snooker Podcast, which he co-hosts with sports MC Phil Seymour, Murphy said: “It’s happening every match, it’s happening to everyone who loses.”
He added: “I came off match against Neil Robertson – bearing in mind it was a really high-quality match – to messages on social media of people wishing me cancer, wishing my mum ill, [people saying] ‘I hope you die in an accident on the way home’.
Shaun Murphy playing Neil Robertson at the World Grand Prix
Murphy was subjected to abuse after losing a high-quality match to Neil Robertson(Image: Getty)
He continued: “It’s certainly not what I signed up for, growing up as a young kid wanting to be a snooker professional. You try your guts out, you leave everything out there. You get beaten by someone who’s playing at the top of their game and then you get abuse for it!”
