Shaun Murphy has been left raging by Kyren Wilson’s comments about him on the eve of the World Championship.
In a pre-tournament interview, world champion Wilson branded Murphy “unprofessional” for his conduct during the Masters final between the pair in January. After Murphy won 10-7, the Warrior made bizarre comments about the 42-year-old, calling him an “old man” and saying he “needed to win more than me”.
Pressed on those comments ahead of the defence of his Crucible crown, Wilson told TNT Sports: “Shaun knows full well what happened before the evening session of the Masters final. I don’t want to bad mouth anyone, but what he did before the evening session was uncalled for and quite unprofessional.”
Murphy has been left mystified and deeply offended by Wilson’s comments. Speaking on his onefourseven podcast on Friday night, the Magician fumed: “Sat here recording this with you now, I’ve got absolutely no idea what Kyren Wilson is talking about. No idea at all.
“I genuinely have no idea. We regrouped in the dressing room following the first session. We got changed, we went off into the car park. I ended up filling my car with washer fluid, that’s how rock n’ roll we are!
“Then we jumped in the car and went and found a car wash. Then we went to Starbucks, came back to the venue, got ready, and went to play the match.”
Murphy, who could commentate on Wilson during the World Championship for the BBC, intends to address the matter in person. He fumed: “I must admit, I’m extremely disappointed in the behaviour of Kyren Wilson.
“I think he has had a really good year as world champion – on and off the table. But I’m extremely disappointed in him as a bloke.
“If he’s got something he wanted to say to me since January, and he’s left it until this week to say it… And then not only hasn’t come out and said it, he’s kind of said half a story, or not even half a story.
“He hasn’t had the bottle to call me out over whatever it is, and he has left everybody guessing. He had the nerve to call me unprofessional and call my reputation into question.
“How dare he do that, and then not even be man enough to then tell everyone what he’s talking about? I’m very disappointed in his behaviour.
“When I see him face-to-face, I’ll be telling him, because that’s not how I operate. That’s not how real people operate. I’m very, very disappointed in his behaviour.”
Wilson opens his Crucible campaign against Lei Peifan on Saturday morning, while 2005 champion Murphy faces Daniel Wells on Tuesday.
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