Murphy beats McGill to win British Open for first time

Anthony McGill defeated Shaun Murphy 10-7 in the final to claim the first-ever British Open title.

On his way to winning the prize, the 2005 world champion broke eight 50-plus breaks before being pushed all the way by Scotland’s McGill.

Murphy, an England international, didn’t take the lead until the opening frame of the evening session, when he broke 78 to move 5-4 in front.

McGill, who is currently sitting in the 57th position in the world and making his first final appearance in eight years, was not dissuaded by the advantage loss.

He took a 73 break to take the lead, which gave him another 7-6 lead.

Murphy, however, increased the pressure, winning four frames straight for the first time in 26 months.

When you haven’t participated in a ranking final in a while… I was so happy that I had the opportunity to play my game when I needed it, Murphy said.

I’ve been watching people like [Judd] Trump, [Mark Selby, and [Neil] Robertson win numerous titles in a row, and I want to return to that level.

I just need to be more consistent because I still believe I am dangerous on my day, as I have shown this week. Tomorrow, I’ll return to the practice room.