Shaun Murphy produced one of the most remarkable performances of his career at the China Open on Sunday, setting a new record for the most unanswered points in a professional snooker match during a 6–0 victory over Matthew Selt.

The former World Champion was in sensational form from the opening frame in Taiyuan, producing a string of huge breaks as he raced into a commanding lead.

Murphy opened the match with breaks of 18, 61, 132, 103, 139 and 113, before adding a further 41 points at the beginning of the sixth frame.

That took his unanswered tally to an incredible 607 points, surpassing the previous record of 556 set by Ronnie O’Sullivan during his 6–0 victory over Ricky Walden at the 2014 Masters.

Selt finally ended Murphy’s remarkable run by potting a red at the start of the sixth frame, bringing the extraordinary sequence to an end.

Four Centuries in a Row

Murphy’s record-breaking performance also saw him equal another impressive snooker record.

The Englishman compiled four consecutive centuries, matching the record for the most successive tons in a professional match.

It is the second time Murphy has achieved the feat during his career, putting him alongside Mark Allen and Neil Robertson as the only players to have recorded four consecutive centuries twice.

Murphy had the opportunity to make even more history in the final frame, needing another century to become the first player to make five consecutive tons. However, he lost position after reaching 41 and was unable to complete the record.

His 113 break in the fifth frame also came agonisingly close to being a maximum 147. Murphy had already cleared 14 reds with blacks before missing a difficult thin cut on the 15th black.

Despite those near misses, the performance was still enough to secure a comprehensive 6–0 victory and send Murphy through to the last 16 of the China Open.

‘To Be Part of Snooker History Is a Great Thrill’

Speaking after the match, Murphy admitted he was delighted to have etched his name into the history books.

“I can’t believe it, I’m over the moon,” said Murphy, who was runner-up to Wu Yize at the Crucible in May.

The 42-year-old revealed that he was aware he was approaching the record but deliberately avoided checking the exact figure during the match.

“I knew I was close – at the interval I didn’t want to go looking on any websites to check what the record was.”

Murphy explained that he wanted to remain focused on his performance rather than become distracted by the possibility of making history.

“If you find yourself in the bubble and in the flow, you just want to stay in it.”

The Magician also praised the atmosphere inside the venue and said he was delighted to produce such a memorable performance for the crowd.

“It was a delight to play for a great crowd out there and put on a good show.”

While Murphy expects his new record to eventually be broken, he admitted that being part of snooker history was a special moment.

“I haven’t set that many records throughout my career and I am sure someone will go out and beat this one at some stage. But to be part of snooker history in this way is a great thrill.”

Murphy will now turn his attention to the last 16 as he looks to continue his impressive run at the China Open.