Shaun Murphy's first-round draws since 2005

Cloud Strife wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:2005: Chris Small (hadn't won a match that season)
2006: James Wattana
2007: Judd Trump (17 years old)
2008: Dave Harold
2009: Andrew Higginson
2010: Gerard Greene
2011: Marcus Campbell
2012: Jamie Jones
2013: Martin Gould
2014: Jamie Cope
2015: Robin Hull
2016: Anthony McGill
2017: Yan Bingtao (17 years old)
2018: Jamie Jones
2019: Luo Honghao (19 years old)

This is almost as easy as Stephen Hendry's list of first round opponents since 1990.

And Ronnie O'Sullivan's since 1994.

This thread Muppet V Pink Ball

The_Abbott wrote:This thread Muppet V Pink Ball

Battle Of The Bellends.

The_Abbott wrote:This thread Muppet V Pink Ball

Julian vs Alan

Guaranteed to draw Carty this year

Cloud Strife wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:2005: Chris Small (hadn't won a match that season)
2006: James Wattana
2007: Judd Trump (17 years old)
2008: Dave Harold
2009: Andrew Higginson
2010: Gerard Greene
2011: Marcus Campbell
2012: Jamie Jones
2013: Martin Gould
2014: Jamie Cope
2015: Robin Hull
2016: Anthony McGill
2017: Yan Bingtao (17 years old)
2018: Jamie Jones
2019: Luo Honghao (19 years old)

This is almost as easy as Stephen Hendry's list of first round opponents since 1990.

You say that, but Murphy does have the joint third most First Round exits since winning the title of all seven of the previous World Champions in the field (discounting Trump)

2005: Chris Small (hadn't won a match that season)
2006: James Wattana
2007: Judd Trump (17 years old)
2008: Dave Harold
2009: Andrew Higginson
2010: Gerard Greene
2011: Marcus Campbell
2012: Jamie Jones
2013: Martin Gould
2014: Jamie Cope
2015: Robin Hull
2016: Anthony McGill
2017: Yan Bingtao (17 years old)
2018: Jamie Jones
2019: Luo Honghao (19 years old)
2020: Noppon Saengkham
2021: Mark Davis

Compare that to Ding or Maguire

Ding's first-round draws since 2007

2007: Ronnie O'Sullivan
2008: Marco Fu
2009: Liang Wenbo
2010: Stuart Pettman
2011: Jamie Burnett
2012: Ryan Day
2013: Alan McManus
2014: Michael Wasley
2015: Mark Davis
2016: Martin Gould
2017: Zhou Yuelong
2018: Xiao Guodong
2019: Anthony McGill
2020: Mark King
2021: Stuart Bingham

Stephen Maguire's first-round draws since 2004

2004: Ronnie O'Sullivan
2005: Ronnie O'Sullivan
2006: Mark King
2007: Joe Perry
2008: Anthony Hamilton
2009: Jamie Burnett
2010: Stephen Lee
2011: Barry Hawkins
2012: Luca Brecel
2013: Dechawat Poomjaeng
2014: Ryan Day
2015: Anthony McGill
2016: Alan McManus
2017: Anthony McGill
2018: Ronnie O'Sullivan
2019: Tian Pengfei
2020: Martin Gould
2021: Jamie Jones