What had threatened to become a one-sided charge from Murphy instead turned into a contest of momentum and nerve. The evening session will now decide the title, with both players separated by a single frame and little to choose between them.
The afternoon began scrappily. Murphy looked unsettled, but Wu was unusually erratic, particularly with his long potting.
In a tense opening frame, a prolonged exchange of safety play ended in a remarkable lapse: Wu conceded seven consecutive fouls after being trapped in a snooker, handing Murphy a crucial early advantage.
Murphy’s five-frame burst turns the match
That sequence appeared to knock Wu out of rhythm. His positional play loosened, chances were left on, and Murphy capitalised with ruthless efficiency. Breaks of 76, 52 and 59 helped him overturn the overnight deficit, and his confidence grew with each visit to the table.
After the mid-session interval, Murphy – known as “the Magician” – tightened his grip. When Wu missed a routine black off the spot on 37, Murphy punished him with a composed 60 to extend his run to five straight frames and take control of the match.
Wu responds to reclaim the initiative
Yet the momentum shifted again. Wu steadied himself, and although he needed multiple visits in the next frames, contributions of 64 and 46 were enough to halt Murphy’s charge and narrow the gap.
The closing frame of the session followed the same pattern: Wu dictating terms, Murphy largely restricted to his seat. Breaks of 61 and 60 sealed a third consecutive frame for the Chinese player, who conceded just two pots to his opponent across the final three frames.
From apparent disarray to a slender lead, Wu now holds the advantage. But with the title on the line and momentum proven so fragile, the final session promises a fittingly tense conclusion.
