Murphy Condemns O'Sullivan and Trump for Skipping Media Day

Professional snooker player Shaun Murphy expressed his disappointment with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, criticizing them for not doing enough to promote the sport after they failed to attend the official media day before the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. As a result, O'Sullivan and Trump may face fines from the governing body for missing the traditional pre-tournament event where the top seeds participate in a photo shoot and interviews with the press. Murphy stated, "It's become the norm for them to skip these events, which is unfortunate. They could have done more to promote the game over the years." Murphy believes their absence may tarnish their public image. O'Sullivan and Trump are set to start their tournament on Tuesday against He Guoqiang and Gary Wilson, respectively. O'Sullivan has been preparing for the tournament from a base in Ireland and has declined all media requests, while Trump has been training in Thailand. Meanwhile, Zhao Xintong will begin his title defense against Liam Highfield on Saturday, and Mark Allen will start his quest for his first world crown against Zhang Anda. Allen expressed confidence in his recent form, saying, "I feel like I've been playing well lately, and I'm more confident than I was six weeks ago." The first day's schedule also includes an all-Chinese match between Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong, and a match between former finalist Barry Hawkins and Matthew Stevens.