Following his commanding 10-5 triumph over Chinese sensation Lyu Haotian at the 2024 World Snooker Championships, Shaun Murphy finds himself in a buoyant mood. However, despite the early departure of top seeds Luca Brecel and Ali Carter from his quarter of the draw, Murphy remains wary of the challenges that lie ahead.

Murphy dismissed the notion that his path to the semi-finals had become considerably easier due to the absence of Brecel and Carter. Instead, he identified his next opponent, Stephen Maguire, as a significant threat, referring to him as "one of the danger men" and likening him to a "grenade" that players would prefer to avoid.

“It’s actually a real tough little section," Murphy told SportsBoom.com. "He [Stephen Maguire] was one of the danger men coming through the qualifiers, one of the grenades that everybody wanted to miss."

Indeed, Murphy's respect for Maguire's prowess on the table is evident, recognising the Scottish player's ability to upset the odds and cause trouble for any opponent.

Image credit: WST

Furthermore, Murphy acknowledged the challenging draw that Carter had faced, indicating that the early exit of the seasoned player did not necessarily make his own journey to the latter stages any smoother.

“Ali Carter came here with tons of confidence, and arguably got the toughest draw of all the top-16 seeds," Murphy noted. "I feel like I’m playing on a bit of free ride.”

If the charismatic potter makes it to the semi-finals, his path wouldn't involve facing any top-10 seeded players, considering Luca Brecel's defeat to David Gilbert and Ali Carter's early exit from the tournament.