Noppon Saengkham received little initial support from fellow players after he arrived at the Northern Ireland Open without his snooker cue, prompting quite the scramble. It seemed an unfortunate twist of fate for the Thai player, as the World Snooker Tour confirmed his cue had been mislaid during transit from Manchester to Belfast.

Faced with a dilemma before his first-round bout against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Saengkham was momentarily left in the lurch, as pleas for assistance were brushed aside by other professionals, ramping up his anxiety.

In a sporting gesture of solidarity, Shaun Murphy stepped into the fray just in time, lending his own cue to Saengkham, who was evidently relieved after edging out a narrow 4-3 victory.

Expressing deep gratitude, Saengkham remarked, “I have to really thank Shaun because I asked a few other players, but they couldn’t lend me a cue because they were practicing,” and “Then I saw Shaun and he gave me his cue this morning.”

Furthermore, the world No. 28 made it known that Murphy, charmingly dubbed ‘The Magician’, went above and beyond, disrupting his own routine to offer aid, reports the Express.

“It meant he couldn’t practice today,” Saengkham highlighted. “I only had 10 minutes with his cue before my match. So I just tried to enjoy the game because if I’m not happy then I can’t play well. I tried to play simple shots, nothing too hard.”

It’s worth noting that while making do is part of the game, Murphys cue isn’t exactly ideal for someone not used to it due to its specifically tailored design and notably thin cue tip, which is unique to the 42 year old’s playing style.

Murphy inadvertently added to the drama of the match, with Saengkham initially leading 1-0 and then 3-2 before Murphy levelled the score, creating a tense build-up to the final moments.

Despite being behind, the favourite managed a 64 clearance from 54-3 down, later quipping that he might need to borrow Murphy’s help again.

“I did very well, I potted some long balls and my break-building was good, especially the clearance in the last frame,” he remarked. “I don’t know if Shaun will let me use this cue in my next match. I will have to ask him. If I end up playing him here, maybe we will have to share it.”

The ex-world No. 3 did react to comments about the incident on X, noting: “Ironically, I only brought one with me this week.”

Murphy, having faced his own challenges at the Shanghai Masters earlier this year when his luggage and unique cue were misplaced, would likely empathise with the situation.

His gear was eventually found, allowing him to reach the final where Judd Trump defeated him.

Saengkham was expecting his actual cue to arrive in time for his second-round game against Mark Williams, but perhaps wished it hadn’t as the Welsh player took control and secured a 4-1 victory.