Ken Doherty, the 1997 world snooker champion, has drawn a striking comparison between new world champion Wu Yize and the legendary Ronnie O'Sullivan, highlighting the young Chinese star's dedication to practicing with his weaker hand. Doherty, who trains alongside Wu at the Ding Junhui Academy in Sheffield, revealed that Wu's practice routine mirrors O'Sullivan's approach in the early 1990s when both were based in Ilford.
Wu Yize's Rise to Glory
The 22-year-old Wu became the second youngest world champion in history with a thrilling 18-17 victory over Shaun Murphy at the Crucible earlier this month. His path to the title included wins over Lei Peifan, Mark Selby, Hossein Vafaei, and Mark Allen, culminating in a dramatic deciding frame against Murphy. The victory earned him the £500,000 top prize and propelled him to the summit of the sport.
Doherty's Observations on Practice
Doherty has witnessed Wu's relentless training sessions alongside his father, Jiepin. 'I've seen him in there, day after day, any time I'm in there. The diligence and the work ethic that they put in together is just magnificent,' Doherty told Metro. He noted that Wu would stop practicing right-handed and instead play left-handed for an hour, exactly as O'Sullivan did in Ilford during the early 90s.
'I'd be saying to him, "why are you wasting your time playing left handed?" Little did I realise what a weapon it would become, and he's exactly the same. He can play pressure shots. A wonderful revelation for the game, and it's been a great boost,' Doherty added.
Mentorship from O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan has been a mentor to Wu this season, even texting him during the World Championship final with advice. While Wu still has a long way to match O'Sullivan's achievements, his potential at age 22 is immense. Doherty praised Wu's charisma, calling him 'a star' with 'the Wu factor.'
'He's got so many years on everybody, and he's still learning. That's the thing about it. He's still not the finished article. He can learn so much more, and he will do, and he's only got to get better and better, which is a frightening thing for a lot of the players, but great for the game. We needed another star, and we certainly got one,' Doherty said.
Jimmy White's Praise
Jimmy White also lauded Wu, comparing him to last year's champion Zhao Xintong. 'Listen, Wu is fantastic. Like Xintong, they play the game how it should be played,' White told Metro. 'The likes of me, [Stephen] Hendry, O'Sullivan, you know, we've been talking about him for three or four years. I didn't know he'd win so quick because he's very open, but he played solid all week. Same game plan. He deserves what he got.'
A Memorable World Championship
Doherty believes Wu's win was part of arguably the best World Snooker Championship ever, featuring numerous classic matches. 'It was one of the best World Championships, I think, that I've seen for a long time. If not the best!' he said. 'So many wonderful matches, from Xintong against Ding, Higgins against Ronnie, and Wu being a revelation, beating Selby, beating Mark Allen in that dramatic semi-final, the missed black, the longest frame that's ever been in the Crucible, and to go 18-17 in the final. Everybody was on the edge of their seats.'
