Former world champion Shaun Murphy shows no mercy to snooker wonderkid, 14, on history-making debut
FORMER world snooker champion Shaun Murphy showed no mercy to a teenage wonderkid in qualifying for the Wuhan Open this week.
The Magician faced 14-year-old Michal Szubarczyk on Monday for a place in the August competition.
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But he didn't go easy on his opponent, who made history at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
Murphy won the match 5-0 with breaks of 70, 91 and 102 and limited the teenager to just 60 points in total.
In facing the 2005 world snooker champion, Szubarczyk became the youngest professional in the sport's history.
He earned his tour card by reaching the final of the European Amateur Snooker Championship in March.
Although he lost the final, the Polish star secured the card because the winner, Liam Highfield, had already earned one.
Szubarczyk is next due to play against amateur player Umut Dikme in qualifying for the British Open on Thursday.
Ahead of his tour debut, the 14-year-old said: "I love playing with the audience and cameras and I hope there will many matches like that.
"I don't put much pressure on myself to win, I have a lot of time to achieve my goals.
"When I got the tour card there were very mixed emotions. I had been striving for this since I was seven years old. But then suddenly doubts appeared.
"Whether I can do it, whether I'm too young? There were questions about finances, and what about school, what about the rest of the family, will I manage?
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"But I am sure it is the right decision because it has always been my dream."
Szubarczyk also revealed that Ronnie O'Sullivan has been his idol from a young age.
He added: "I was almost seven when I first watched snooker. Dad was watching Ronnie play, I asked if I could sit in.
"Then I asked if we could go to play sometime. We went the next day and…here I am!
"Ronnie is still my hero, he has a special place in my head. His offensive, even aggressive style of play was my model when I started playing. Now I'm just improving all the time."
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