Snooker results: Shaun Murphy defeats Kyren Wilson 10-7 in Masters final

Murphy, champion in 2015, broke the back of the match in the afternoon session, ending it with a healthy 6-2 lead, a cushion he needed after Wilson mounted a brave fightback in the evening.

In the end, Murphy had enough breathing space and ultimately too many guns for his gallant opponent, capping a memorable week with four more centuries, including one to finish, to go with his 147 maximum break on Saturday which perfectly highlighted a weight of scoring that Wilson, or anyone else, was just unable to match.

After the first four frames of the night were shared, Murphy would've been forgiven for feeling a little edgy when Wilson managed to win three frames on the bounce to reduce the deficit from 8-4 to 8-7, breathing new life into the final and threatening the type of comeback made famous by the man the winner's trophy is named after – the late Paul Hunter who won three Masters finals, all from a long way behind.

But Murphy has had all the answers this week and he provided them again, putting together a run of 55 to win frame 16, a terrific contribution in the circumstances and one which put him within a frame of victory.

With the wind taken out of his sails, Wilson endured a terrible stroke of luck when beginning the following frame with a terrific opening red, only to stick on the bunch and find himself snookered on the black.

It didn't cost him immediately, but Murphy was able to gain early control of the frame before manufacturing an ultimately match-winning break of exactly 100, the night finished in style and with a big dose of panache that was a microcosm of a week that well and truly belonged to a man well named the Magician.

"There was a stage a few frames ago where it was panic stations, so credit to Kyren," Murphy told the BBC before praising new mentor Peter Ebdon.

"This is right up there. The win here in 15 was big to cement my triple crown, but this is big if not bigger. The 147 was one of the biggest moments of my life.

"If I am honest I thought my time was gone. I’ve teamed up with Peter and he was very strong, helped me rediscover that self-belief and helped remind me I used to be quite good at this.

"There is still a bit of life in old dog yet."

Afternoon re-cap

Shaun Murphy has one hand on the Masters trophy after building a commanding 6-2 lead over Kyren Wilson in Sunday's final at Alexandra Palace.

Murphy's dream week in London continued in much the same vein in the opening session, the Magician producing another masterful display which was in stark contrast to his opponent who just couldn't find the form that saw him topple Judd Trump less than 24 hours earlier.

While Murphy finished with back-to-back centuries, to go with his opening-frame 94 and another break of 65, Wilson spent the session swimming against the tide, in part down to a few unforced errors on his own part.

Perhaps the most crucial of those mistakes came in frame four, Wilson looking sure to level at 2-2 after Murphy's rapid start had allowed him to race into a 2-0 lead, only for the world champion to miss a simple red on 61 with the frame almost secure.

And didn't Murphy make him pay. A series of perfectly-judged cannons allowed him to free the three reds tied up on the right-hand side cushion and by the time he had progressed to the colours, there was little doubt he would complete the flawless 65 clearance that handed him a huge steal.

Murphy, Masters champion back in 2015, then extended his lead to 4-1 when controlling the fifth frame, only for Wilson to rally with a brave run of 53 which featured a series of brilliant pots as he battled to gain control of the cue ball.

However, any hopes Wilson might've held about getting out of the session all square quickly vanished when Murphy cleared the table in the frame seven, before finishing with yet another century to ensure he ended the afternoon in complete control.

Wilson is now left with a mountain to climb if he is to avoid another Masters final defeat like they one he suffered against Mark Allen in 2018.