Murphy On Top In Bruges
Shaun Murphy claimed the ISCA Bruges Open with a four-frames-to-two win against Matthew Couch in the final at the Boudewijn Seapark in the latest event on the new European Players Tour Championship.
After a slow start to the PTC which saw him win just two matches in the first four starts, the 2005 world champions has now moved into the top eight on the Order of Merit at the half way stage of the twelve event series.
In the semi-finals, Murphy won the battle of former world champions against Mark Williams, who won the opening PTC event by winning a tense deciding frame.
Couch also went the full distance to get the better of Ireland’s Fergal O’Brien.
Murphy had opened his final day with a comfortable 4-0 win over Jimmy Robertson before denying the home crowd a local winner by edging Bjorn Haneveer by the odd frame.
Williams beat Ding Junhui and in-form Martin Gould to reach the last four before coming unstuck against the world number 7.
Ricky Walden, who has a practise base at the Trickshot Snooker Club in Bruges began the final day well, by beating Masters Champion, Mark Selby 4-1 before running out of steam and losing to Couch by four-frames-to-two.
The next PTC event takes place in Sheffield next weekend.
