Overview
- Murphy lost 4-1 to Lei Peifan in the tournament’s opening match at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.
- The 2005 world champion said he learned at breakfast he would play first after a 36-hour journey from China.
- He called the treatment “despicable” and alleged organisers hand-picked the draw and groups.
- Matchroom said it had spoken to Murphy, shared his frustrations, and defended seeding-based groups while noting scheduling is difficult and improvements will be considered.
- Judd Trump beat Bai Yulu 4-1 to set up a quarter-final against Lei, with players who were not in China scheduled to start later in the week.