Snooker World Championship: Shaun Murphy says 'snooker is in best state it has ever been in'

Shaun Murphy is bidding for his 2nd satellite crown successful Sheffield aft winning his archetypal successful 2005

Shaun Murphy says "snooker is successful the champion authorities it has ever been in" with the World Championship acceptable to commencement connected Saturday successful Sheffield.

Seven-time satellite champion Ronnie O'Sullivan besides heavily criticised the mode the athletics was tally successful March.

But Murphy said: "Snooker would get a cleanable measure of wellness astatine the doctors."

The Englishman added: "The existent information is that by immoderate measurable metric, snooker is successful the champion authorities it has ever been successful - particularly taking into relationship the pandemic and the information we inactive haven't got our six oregon 7 tournaments successful China and the Far East backmost connected line.

"If those tournaments hadn't gone, we wouldn't beryllium having this conversation. The [Covid] pandemic wounded snooker much than astir sports due to the fact that it mislaid astir a 3rd of its revenue.

"Yet we inactive led the mode retired of lockdown and were the archetypal athletics back to unrecorded events, summons income and the nationalist being capable to travel and watch. Snooker should ne'er beryllium forgotten for starring the mode retired of what was a precise acheronian clip for everybody."

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Four-time satellite champion Mark Selby, who begins his first-round lucifer against Matthew Selt connected Wednesday, added: "To suffer the tournaments successful China was pugnacious but it is not truly World Snooker's responsibility due to the fact that you couldn't foretell what was going to happen.

"We are proceeding rumours that tournaments are going to beryllium backmost connected successful China which would beryllium large and going guardant we could beryllium capable to adhd to them and marque the circuit a batch bigger than it is."

Snooker's fiscal balancing act

The nonaccomplishment of respective lucrative events successful China has understandably resulted successful a simplification successful prize wealth crossed the season, from £15m earlier the pandemic to astir £11m currently.

And successful a wide-ranging interview, O'Sullivan suggested that a further £50m was needed to consolidate the existent circuit arsenic good offer support for those typically distant from the limelight.

Snooker has taken steps to assistance players little down the ladder who mightiness beryllium struggling financially, and truthful mightiness beryllium perchance susceptible to lucifer fixing.

An precocious prize wealth scheme, introduced successful October, means each 130 professionals connected the World Snooker Tour are guaranteed minimum net of £20,000 for the 2022-23 season.

However, that makes the autarkic probe into betting charges levelled astatine 10 players - including 2021 UK champion Zhao Xintong and 2021 Masters victor Yan Bingtao - each the much challenging, with those hearings starting successful the 2nd week of the World Championship.

All the players, who are presently suspended, look lengthy bans if recovered blameworthy of a scope of offences, portion different player, Mark King, awaits a abstracted proceeding connected akin charges.

"The information these hearings are happening during the tourney is thing we tin usage to our advantage," added Murphy, who is aiming to triumph his archetypal satellite rubric since 2005.

"Dealing with it beforehand and centre successful beforehand of the world's media shows we are trying to bash the champion we can, and if they are recovered blameworthy I anticipation we ne'er spot them again."

Spreading snooker's appeal

Selby arrives successful Sheffield arsenic 1 of the favourites to triumph a 5th satellite crown

In the eight-man Tour Championship - staged for the archetypal clip successful Hull, its 4th venue successful 5 years - respective players spoke of the empty atmosphere successful the opening matches of the season's penultimate ranking event.

And Selby, who was beaten by Murphy successful the semi-finals, says the sport's authorities could marque improvements to make further involvement successful the game.

"I cognize it was a prestigious tourney but erstwhile you deliberation of Hull it is astir apt not among the astir affluent places successful the UK and yet you astir apt had immoderate of the highest-priced tickets connected the tour," said Selby.

"If I had 1 criticism, it would beryllium that tournament's request to effort to stay astatine the aforesaid venue for a definite magnitude of years to go established.

"You person large cities similar Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool and determination are nary tournaments there. I cognize venues mightiness outgo much but if you are trying to rise the illustration of the crippled you privation to spell to those places."

Reigning Masters champion and 2019 satellite champion Judd Trump, who has agelong led calls for the athletics to modernise and entreaty to wider audiences, echoed Selby's comments, adding: "At the moment, we are successful a transitional period.

"A batch of places I spell radical travel up to maine and don't cognize that tournaments are on, truthful selling omniscient determination is inactive country for betterment but you anticipation those moving the crippled perceive and determination is simply a spot much backing and wealth to publicise tournaments.

"You privation it to beryllium amusement arsenic well. Other sports similar shot and cricket are adapting, doing things similar airy shows, fireworks and giveaways for fans, which snooker hasn't truly delved into yet."

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