Murphy starts well in title bid

Shaun Murphy made a strong start to his bid to claim a second World Snooker Championship title 20 years after his first as some heavy scoring saw him take a commanding 7-2 lead against debutant Daniel Wells.

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Masters champion Murphy and Wells each made two century breaks in a high-quality session at the Crucible yesterday but a run of four frames in a row proved the difference as Murphy flexed his muscles in the first-round encounter.