Shaun Murphy advances to World Championship semi-finals with win over Zhao Xintong

Shaun Murphy reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship after defeating Zhao Xintong 13-10. The victory ended Zhao's hopes of breaking what the BBC Sport report describes as the "Crucible curse" - the challenge of winning snooker's most prestigious event for the first time. Murphy produced what the source calls a "superb" performance to overcome his opponent. The win sets up a place in the last four at the famous Crucible venue in Sheffield. Zhao had been seeking to become a first-time winner of the World Championship, an honor that has proven elusive for many top players making their debut challenge for the title. Murphy's experience at this stage of the tournament proved decisive as he navigated a challenging quarter-final encounter. The result marks another strong run at the World Championship for the experienced campaigner.

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