World number five Shaun Murphy is the headline act in Thursday’s qualifying for the Shanghai Masters, as he will take on Chinese teenager Yuan Sijun. The 2005 world champion is a two-time semi-finalist in Shanghai, although he did suffer a first-round exit at the hands of Stephen Maguire 12 months ago. Murphy was also beaten in the first-round of his last ranking event, the World Open, although he has reached the final of two tournaments this season, following up a defeat to Luca Brecel in the final of the China Championship with a loss to Michael White in the Paul Hunter Classic showpiece.
The 35-year-old will be confident of going far in Shanghai next month and he should have little problem negotiating his qualifying match with Sijun, as the 17-year-old has only qualified for one ranking event to date this season. Murphy is not the only big name in qualifying action on Thursday, as world number six Marco Fu will take on Boonyarit Keattikun of Thailand. Fu has lost in the first round of the Shanghai Masters in each of the last three seasons, while his form in ranking tournaments has been mixed of late, as he is yet to go beyond the second round of such an event this term.
However, the 39-year-old should be too strong for Keattikun, who has failed to make it through to the main draw of his last three ranking events. Other notable qualifying matches on Thursday will see world number 13 Ali Carter, who won the Shanghai Masters in 2010, take on fellow Englishman Sam Craigie, while 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott will face experienced campaigner Nigel Bond.
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