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Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby suffer shock defeats

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Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby suffer shock defeats

Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby were the top players to fall at the first hurdle of the snooker World Open this weekend.

 
The best-of-five format was predicted to cause an upset for some players, and surprisingly it caught out both Murphy and Selby.

 
Murphy, the reigning Premier League champion, could not get going against Dave Harold, and after a scrappy opening frame, it was Harold who took the lead. The 2005 world champion presented chances for Harold, and the Stoke potter knocked in breaks of 67 and 76 to seal a shock 3-0 win.

 
“The first frame was the key, then after that I made two good breaks and never let Shaun get his hand on the table,” said Harold. “I felt comfortable and put him under pressure. I think the lower-ranked players have got a great chance in this tournament.”

 
As is the nature of the World Open, the random draw has pitted Harold against the Shotgun Jamie Cope in the next round.

 
Reigning Masters champion Selby was the other top player to lose, losing 3-2 to Barry Hawkins last night in a tense match. Hawkins was in control of the tie after coming from a frame down to lead 2-1, but when he missed an easy black off the spot, he presented the chance to the Jester from Leicester to level and take the match to a decider.

 
Both players had opportunities, but it was Hawkins who held his nerve to book his place in the last-32 against former world champion Ken Doherty.
 

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