Wu Yize is crowned world champion in Sheffield, having prevailed in one of the classic Crucible finals. The 22-year-old Chinese snooker sensation defeated Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a thrilling final frame, securing the title with a decisive break of 85. This victory makes him the second-youngest world champion in history.
A Historic Victory
As the ticker tape rained down on Wu Yize and the Chinese flag was draped over his shoulders, it was hard not to imagine that this sport was changing forever. If Zhao Xintong broke through the glass ceiling a year ago, then the exploits of China's newest Crucible king may have shattered it into a thousand pieces. The boy who came to England with his father as a 16-year-old, living in a windowless flat in Sheffield, is now the champion of the world.
Wu Yize's Journey
Wu Yize is not your ordinary champion. He plays with attacking prowess and risk-taking that will make him a household favourite across the globe. China has a second world champion in as many years, but Wu's star will shine brightly wherever he goes. He scaled snooker's Mount Everest in unforgettable fashion. The first final to go all the way to the 35th and deciding frame since 2002, Wu looked as though he had spurned his chance when leading 17-16. He missed a straightforward red to halt a potential championship-winning break. The magnificent Shaun Murphy responded to take the final the distance.
But when it mattered most, Wu held his nerve. With the stakes at their highest, he produced the break of his life, starting with an aggressive red that epitomised his attitude to the game and finishing with a break of 85 that ensured he would become the second-youngest world champion in history.
Emotional Revelation
Wu's journey to this point took on extra emotion when he revealed: "Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my mum has not been in good health. She has been staying in hospital for a long time. She has sacrificed everything for me."
A New Generation
His momentous victory is big for Chinese snooker but also fascinating for the wider narrative of the sport's young stars taking over. Murphy almost represented a one-man guard of a former era, bidding for a second world title 21 years on from his first. How he played his part, taking the final all the way. But in the end, Wu showed composure beyond his years, becoming the fourth consecutive first-time winner of snooker's holy grail. All winners have been under the age of 32, suggesting that snooker is beckoning a new generation of star names.
Murphy's Class
This was Murphy's fourth final defeat, and while it will undoubtedly sting the most, he had the usual class in congratulating his opponent. "He's a wonderful world champion," Murphy said. "I hate being right. I said earlier in the season that he would be world champion one day. It's just a real shame it was today. But I couldn't have given it any more."
Match Summary
Murphy transformed an overnight 10-7 deficit into a 12-10 lead at the start of Monday's afternoon session, but Wu's response of three consecutive frames to lead going into the evening was a sign of things to come. The pair exchanged blows throughout the final session until eventually, something had to give. First it was 14-14, then 15-15. Murphy produced a sublime 131 clearance to square it again at 16-16 before Wu produced a break of 91 to move one frame from immortality.
But suddenly, he blinked: a routine red while on 45 allowed Murphy to swoop in and take us all the way for only the fourth time in Crucible history. Quite what goes through the minds of the finalists during that excruciating wait to start a deciding frame is anyone's guess. For Murphy, the lure of joining the exclusive band of men to have won at the Crucible multiple times. For Wu, the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Both men would have wanted just one chance. They got one; Murphy potted a sumptuous red but was forced to go safe before Wu took on an audacious red to the middle. Lesser players would have turned it down, but not Wu Yize. Not snooker's newest sensation.
