World Championship: Wu Yize crowned champion of the world at Crucible

The Chinese potter held his nerve in the final frame to clinch an 18-17 victory at the Crucible.

Wu – at 22 the second youngest champion in Crucible history, after Stephen Hendry (21) – took a 10-7 lead into Monday’s afternoon session.

But it was 43-year-old Murphy who won the day’s opening five frames to open up a 12-10 lead, and evoke memories of his 2005 world title when he turned a 10-6 overnight deficit into an 18-16 victory against Matthew Stevens.

Unorthodox and flamboyant, Wu – who broke into the world’s top 16 for the first time, and secured a seeded spot at the Crucible, by winning this season’s International Championship – had never won a match at the Crucible before his first round clash with fellow Chinese potter Lei Peifan.

His two previous visits to the iconic Sheffield theatre had ended at the first hurdle. But he battled back against Murphy, winning the last three frames of the afternoon to take a 13-12 lead into the evening session in their best-of-35 final.

There was never anything between the two finalists, but Wu produced a superb break of 85 in the final frame to bank £500,000 and lift the trophy.

In his semi-final clash with Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, former Rookie of the Year Wu was one shot away from not even reaching the final.

Allen was 16-15 ahead but missed a match-ball black off its spot to gift Wu a lifeline, which he grabbed with both hands. He won three successive frames to turn a 16-14 deficit into a 17-16 win.

It was one of those moments when you knew his name was on the trophy.

Wu has long been tipped for success – as a 14-year-old he won the World Under-21 Championship – and Allen was the latest to join in the praise.

“The way Wu plays is great for the game, he pots some ridiculous long balls,” said Allen. “Even if he doesn't win it this time, I think he will win many world titles.”

A Wu victory extended the recent run of first-time world champions in Sheffield.

Belgium’s Luca Brecel beat Mark Selby 18-15 in 2023, and 12 months later England’s Kyren Wilson was an 18-14 winner against Jak Jones.

Last year, Zhao Xintong made history to become the first player from China to be crowned Crucible champion, after beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final.

Zhao – like Wu – has adopted Sheffield as their second home, and trains in the Steel City. Zhao is based at the city’s Victoria’s Academy, while Wu – who moved to Sheffield as a 16-year-old with his father – trains at the neighbouring Ding Junhui Academy. Such is the success of the two Sheffield academies, 11 players from China – a record number – were in the first-round draw for this year’s Crucible.

For Murphy – looking to bridge a 21-year gap since his first world title in 2005 – this was his fourth Chinese opponent at this year’s tournament.

He beat Fan Zhengyi 10-9, Xiao Guodong 13-3, and Zhao 13-10 before a classic semi-final against John Higgins, where he emerged a 17-15 winner. Since 2005, Murphy has reached three more finals, but lost to Higgins in 2009, Stuart Bingham in 2015 and Selby in 2021.

Returning on Monday afternoon, leading 10-7, Wu could be forgiven for showing a few nerves.

The last thing this free-flowing cueman needed was a scrappy opening frame, but Murphy had him in trouble with a couple of nifty snookers, gaining 31 penalty points.

Murphy – all business in a blue pin-striped suit – kept the pressure on, with breaks of 76, 52 and 59 to take the opening four frames, leading 11-10 at the mid-session interval.

Wu was first in the balls on their return, but a missed black ended a break on 37, and Murphy pounced with a 60 clearance.

Finally, at the sixth time of asking, Wu secured his first frame of the afternoon, with a 64 break to make it 12-11. Twice Wu had good chances in frame 24 but ran out of position, but a long-range red earned him a third bite of the cherry, as he levelled the scores, before a 61 break nudged him 13-12 in front.