Shaun Murphy's gesture spotted in Wuhan Open defeat sums up his true character

Shaun Murphy was a gracious loser as he was dumped out of the Wuhan Open by Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals, with fans quick to praise the former world champion for his actions

Shaun Murphy showed some classy sportsmanship despite losing to Xiao Guodong at the Wuhan Open.

Snooker's world No. 8 fell 5-1 to home favourite Xiao in this morning's quarter-finals (October 10). Even though he notched his 679th career century in the match, Murphy was already staring down the barrel after a trio of tons from his opponent.

Xiao hit a tournament-high equalling 139 as well as breaks of 113 and 125 to take control. Murphy could only watch on from his seat for most of the contest.

But instead of showing any signs of irritation, he was seen applauding Xiao's shots on several occasions in an act of recognition for his opponent's skills that didn't go unnoticed.

At one stage the commentator noted: "Look at Shaun Murphy. Well he has been reduced to a spectator, he's clapping with the rest of them. This is just sensational stuff from Xiao Guodong."

Murphy's actions earned him praise from viewers back home, with one calling his conduct: "Classy." Another agreed wholeheartedly, commenting online: "You don't have to like him but you can't deny Murphy is class on the table."

A third added: "He has opinions but never been anything other than a good guy." With Xiao moving forward to face compatriot Long Zehuang - who earlier upset Jack Lisowski - the Wuhan Open is guaranteed a Chinese player in the final.

With matches still to be played between Judd Trump versus Chris Wakelin and Anda Zhang against Si Jiahui, the final four of the tournament now draws nearer completion.

Post-match, Xiao told the World Snooker Tour: "I got into my rhythm faster than Shaun and I capitalised on the opportunities he gave me. In the first four frames, I made hardly any mistakes. That helped me build a solid lead and lay a good foundation for the rest of the match.

"To be honest, I wasn't favoured in this draw, going up against Kyren Wilson, Barry Hawkins, and Shaun Murphy. They are all tough opponents, so I'm just glad I was able to showcase my game."