Star is born as Wu Yize beats Shaun Murphy in classic World Snooker Championship final
Wu Yize celebrates becoming world champion for the first time - Andrew Boyers/Reuters A World Championship which has had it all received the extraordinary finale it deserved. A final-frame decider, the first in 24 years, between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize, ended with the 22-year-old from China finally emerging victorious at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. After a scintillating climax which matched that 2002 epic, where Peter Ebdon triumphed over Stephen Hendry, Wu became the second-youngest winner of this iconic tournament and also just the second-ever Chinese winner.
He is a prodigious talent who took the Crucible by storm, sealing the championship with the coolest of left-handed pots. Lanzhou-born Wu moved to Sheffield with his father when he was 16 to pursue his snooker dream in what must surely rank as one of the game’s most remarkable rags-to-riches tales. The duo shared a window-less flat and even a bed in Sheffield but, as Wu pumped his fist after conquering Murphy in this epic, all of that hardship was worth it.
In the Steel City, it was Wu whose nerves matched. Wu has developed into a cult figure with the Crucible faithful and his Wu Fan Clan were there until the very end, chanting his surname in the same vein as fans of Joe Root or Bruce Springsteen. “My parents are the true champions,” said an emotional Wu.
“They are the source of my strengths. I love them so much. ” Wu’s proud parents join him as he lifts the trophy - Darren Staples/Getty Images A match which began as the best of 35 frames eventually became best of five and then three as Murphy offered remarkable opposition to Wu, just as Mark Allen had done in that famous semi-final.
The Chinese youngster had held a 10-7 lead overnight but Murphy won five straight frames as Wu in the afternoon session was overcome with nerves, anxiety and misjudgment. Wu’s long potting deserted him – his short potting was not much to write home about, either – alongside his dreams of world domination. Murphy took full advantage, winning five consecutive frames, and took a 12-10 lead.
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