Players Championship: Record-breaker Shaun Murphy beats Ali Carter to win title

Shaun Murphy defeated Ali Carter 10-4 to win the Players Championship in Wolverhampton.

Leading 6-2 from the afternoon session, former world champion Murphy maintained control in the evening for his first ranking event title since 2020, and the £125,000 top prize.

It capped a week in which the 40-year-old set a new record for the most century breaks made at the tournament.

Murphy notched 11 century breaks in all, five coming in the final.

"Not just win but to play like that, I am going to put that down as one of my biggest achievements in my career. I am really going to take that like a feather in the cap," Murphy told ITV4.

"The last few seasons I have really struggled, but you have to keep going and persevere.

"There have been a lot of honest conversations in front of mirrors and a lot of soul searching, but I am very lucky to have some great support, with friends and family back home."

After Murphy raced into a 3-0 lead - which included a 145 break - Carter hit back with a 122.

The pair shared the next two frames before a 141 and 112 from Murphy opened up a four-frame gap. They were his eighth and ninth centuries of the tournament, surpassing John Higgins' previous best of eight.

Returning in the evening, 2005 world champion Murphy took the ninth frame then made his fourth century of the final, and 10th overall, to go 8-2 up.

Carter, 43, looking to follow on from his German Masters win last month and make it two ranking titles in a season for the first time in his career, pegged Murphy back by taking the next two frames.

But Murphy - a week after losing the Welsh Open final to Robert Milkins - regained control to take the final two frames.

Firstly, an 88 clearance after being allowed back in by Carter made it 9-4 and then - fittingly - Murphy wrapped things up with another century break of 130 for his 10th ranking event title.

"Shaun played great, and he has played the best all week," Carter said.

"When he is on form, we have seen tonight what happens and it is unbelievable he hasn't won for three years.

"But it has been a great month for me winning the German Masters and getting to the final of this is massive also."