Snooker World Grand Prix 2016: Final Results, Prize Money and Reaction

Shaun Murphy raced into a 4-1 lead and withstood a ferocious comeback from Stuart Bingham to win the Snooker World Grand Prix 2016 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Sunday. The Magician beat the reigning world champion after needing a deciding frame to secure a 10-9 win.

He is now due the top prize money the ranking tournament offers, per Live Snooker:  

Meanwhile, Bingham is also due some compensatory consolation:

Recap

Things had started very well for Murphy as he raced out to a 4-1 lead. But a fantastic shot from a seemingly impossible angle on yellow got Bingham's comeback bid started, via World Snooker:

In a final that saw many shifts in momentum, it was Bingham who soon put together a run of his own, taking five straight frames en route to a 7-6 lead at the midway point of the evening session.

Luck was certainly on Bingham's side at times during that run, as this fluke pot of blue, relayed by World Snooker, proved:

But a deftly sunk pink got Murphy back into things:

Trailing 7-6, Murphy made easy work of a difficult red to get going in a frame he had to win:

That was a key shot in a break of 94 that let Murphy even the score at seven frames apiece.

Now it was Murphy with the mojo, and he soon made short work of another long red:

Things got a little sloppy in the next frame, as both players missed shots they would normally make with little fuss. The wasted opportunities gave both Bingham and Murphy chances to take the frame.

Ultimately, it was the latter who made the most of his chance following some misfortune for Bingham. Live Snooker detailed his bad luck:

Yet, just when it looked like Murphy was going to stretch his advantage into a decisive lead, a costly miss on black appeared to let Bingham back in. But a series of safety shots were soon exchanged, as both players struggled to find the formula to win what turned out to be a marathon-length frame:

During this series of snookers, it was a case of who would make the mistake first. It was eventually Murphy who buckled, giving Bingham favourable position on yellow. He gleefully accepted the chance by cleaning up to take his eighth frame.

But the seesaw nature of the final continued as Murphy responded with a break of 120 to go within a single frame of victory, only to see Bingham hit back for 9-9.

In the decider, both men tightened up, but it was Murphy who ended a period of defensive snooker when he struck yet another long red:

It proved the shot that sent the Magician on his way to the title.

Matt, author of Pro Snooker Blog, explained where this win puts Murphy among players both past and present:

Reaction

Afterwards, Murphy described how his fiancee had given him some choice words at a key time in the match, per Live Snooker: 

He also paid tribute to Bingham:

As for the beaten finalist, he was understandably disappointed to just miss out on the top prize:

It's hardly an upset for Bingham to lose to Murphy. Instead, it's just a reminder of the ample quality currently defining the upper echelons of the sport.