Murphy revels in unfamiliar feeling ahead of Scottish Open semi-final
Shaun Murphy says he is regaining his confidence as he prepares to face Judd Trump in the Scottish Open semi-finals.
Murphy has suffered numerous first-round defeats this year, including crashing out of the UK Championships to Chen Feilong.
However, the 2005 world champion is starting to find his form again after an emphatic whitewash of Sam Baird in the quarter-finals to guarantee his place in the last four in Glasgow.
Now a place in the final is within reach but whatever happens, Murphy remains pleased with the form he has shown throughout the tournament.
“I came here with no confidence,” he said.
“I was on the ground after the first-round defeat in the UK championships.
“So, I came here just wanting to grasp onto a couple of wins.
“Here I am in the semi-finals and I have gone from being on the ground to being quite excited.
“Is this week a turning point in my career, in my season?
“I’m not sure about that just yet but it’s a stark contrast from where I have been this year.”
A lot has been said about the calibre of opponent that the Englishman has lost to this year, but Murphy believes the standard amongst players is getting higher.
“Whilst in those matches I perhaps didn’t play my best, the people who did beat me played very, very well,” he said.
“The standard of everybody has just gone through the roof.
“You’re now starting to see these names come through and it’s not really a surprise anymore.”
Watch the Scottish Open LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds
