An “emotional” Shaun Murphy will aim to win a trophy named after a late friend after setting up a German Masters final against world number one Judd Trump.
Former world champion Murphy dispatched Neil Robertson 6-1 in their semi-final, and now has a chance to land the event’s Brandon Parker Trophy – which commemorates his friend and manager who died of cancer in 2020.
Parker had been a key figure in promoting the event in Berlin, and its cup was named after him a year after his death.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Murphy said: “I get emotional thinking about Brandon all the time so the fact I’m out there playing won’t change anything.
“It might give me a bit of escapism actually. I’ll just concentrate on the snooker.
“It would be wonderful to take the Brandon Parker Trophy home. It would mean so much and possibly more to me than any other player on the tour.”
Murphy opened his semi-final with a 122 break and, after being pegged back in the next frame, hit two further centuries – 129 and 125 – on his way to a comfortable victory.
“For a lot of that match I was close to my best,” he added.
Murphy’s dominant form carried over from earlier rounds, which saw him dispatch Kyren Wilson and Mark Allen with ease.
It will be a second German Masters final for Murphy, who lost to Mark Selby in 2015.
In Saturday’s evening session at the Tempodrom Berlin, three-time German Masters winner Trump reached the final after beating Ali Carter 6-2.
Trump took the first four frames before Carter fought back to make it 4-2.
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