Ding Junhui annoyed by static electricity interference; praised Murphy's excellent performance in the decisive game.

On March 13, the 2014 Snooker Haikou World Open continued, with third-round highlight match taking place in the evening. Ding Junhui once again brought the game to a decisive frame despite trailing, but this time he couldn't continue winning streak in decisive frames. He ultimately lost 4-5 to Murphy and failed to make it to the quarterfinals.

Ding Junhui has been excellent form this season, winning four consecutive ranking tournaments. In this Haikou event, he easily defeated Li Yan in the first round and then faced Advaani the second round. Although he was once at the brink of defeat, he managed to turn the game around with a century break and win, but his form was clearly at its best. In the round of 16, Ding Junhui faced a strong opponent, Murphy. Murphy had defeated Jimmy White and Mark King with two 5-1 victories to reach the round of 16.

The match was closely contested from the start. After the score was tied at 1-1 Murphy won the third frame with a score of 78-33 despite being snookered by Ding Junhui and penalized multiple times. This expanded lead to 2-1. In the crucial fourth frame, Ding Junhui encountered static electricity interference, and a crucial mistake allowed Murphy to take a 3- lead in the first half. After the match, Ding Junhui said angrily, "The turning point of the game was in the fourth frame. That red ball static electricity, which caused me to not call that pink ball. This made the game more difficult. Although I caught up two frames, the opponent's form was still good. His playing rhythm was quite fast. He played quite aggressively at the beginning, with some mistakes. Overall, the weather was quite humid, and many balls were of position."

Ding Junhui said that the humid weather and static electricity interference made it very difficult for him to play. He even said that he had no of the cushion under these conditions. "Basically, I had to guess to move, which had a big impact on me."

Trailing 1-3, the of victory tilted towards Murphy. Ding Junhui said that he made some mistakes in the game, but this was not the main reason. "I had the opportunity tie the score at 2-2. After that (because of static electricity, he lost a crucial frame), I was very angry. When it was 31, I wasn't very happy either. After the break, I tried to adjust myself. I also watched Higgins's game in the middle. I think I adjusted well."

Bringing the game to a decisive frame, Ding Junhui still had the opportunity to turn the tables. However, in the decisive frame, Murphy was at seizing opportunities. "Both of us had opportunities in a frame. He played very well. That long shot he made was very accurate. In this regard, he better than the players before the sixth frame. After that shot, he also took advantage of the opportunity to gain the lead. After that, all the red balls were the cushion, which made it very difficult to play."