Yize

The 2025-26 season has been a breakthrough campaign for Wu.

He claimed his first ranking title at the International Championship in Nanjing last November, then reached the semi-finals of the Masters on his debut.

That form enabled him to rise up to 10th in the world rankings and he will now climb to fourth after picking up snooker’s most famous silverware on Monday.

However, things have not always come easy for Wu, who told the media earlier in the tournament that he would purchase his ideal home if he collected the winner’s prize of £500,000.

His mother, who has been in Sheffield for the tournament, still lives in China and is only an occasional visitor to the UK.

“In the beginning there was not a lot of prize money, so there was definitely a lot of pressure and also there was a lot for myself to improve in terms of my game, so I was definitely feeling the pressure at the time,” said Wu.

“I wasn’t mentally in a good place, but I’m really happy I overcame many difficulties to come to here to where I am today.”

Aside from his swashbuckling and fearless attacking play, there is one other notable thing that stands out where Wu is concerned – his mullet hairstyle.

While that has been dispensed with recently, it highlights that he is not afraid to display his individuality in a sport known for its formal attire and disciplined appearance and that attitude has carried him to glory.

Wu Yize held off a Shaun Murphy fightback to ensure he will take a slender 13-12 lead into the concluding session of their World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Having watched Wu deliver a succession of big breaks to pull clear at 10-7 overnight, Murphy emphatically roared back into contention in the best-of-35-frames final on Monday afternoon.

The Englishman, who was crowned champion in 2005 and is aiming to set a new record for the longest gap between first and second titles, reeled off the first five frames on offer with breaks of 76, 52, 59 and 60.

However, he was given a huge helping hand by his 22-year-old opponent, who initially appeared to be carrying the weight of the occasion on his shoulders.

With his trademark long-potting ability conspicuous by its absence, Wu repeatedly left Murphy opportunities to capitalise.

To his credit, Wu stopped the rot in the 23rd frame of the match – crafting an important break of 64 after Murphy left a red over the right corner.

That shifted the momentum back in Wu’s favour, allowing him to limit the damage.

Wu, who could become the second-youngest world champion at snooker’s most famous venue, levelled the match after a contribution of 46 and then regained the lead with runs of 60 and 61 in the final frame of the session.

It means that there will only be one frame separating the finalists when they return at 19:00 BST – the first time that has happened since 2014, when Mark Selby eventually defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14.

Wu made a scintillating start to the evening, having resumed at 4-4 after an afternoon session that was briefly interrupted by a female spectator jumping over the front-row barrier before referee Rob Spencer and security intervened to remove her.

Breaks of 82 and 103 gave him a two-frame advantage and while Murphy, who had earlier recovered from 3-0 down, hit back with a 72 it appeared as though he was struggling to stem the flow of his opponent.

Murphy, 43, who is aiming to set a new record for the longest gap between first and second titles, openly admitted that Wu had blasted him off the table at the Masters in January – albeit in a best-of-11 contest.

And having never won a match on his two visits to the Crucible prior to this year, Wu has so far has answered every question posed of him in the longer format.

Wu Yize and Mark Allen produced a session of spellbinding snooker and finished locked at 11-11 to perfectly set up the final session of their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible Theatre.

Resuming at 7-7 on Saturday, the third session of the match was a complete contrast to their epic slugfest on Friday, that produced the longest frame ever played at the famous venue.

China’s Wu set the tone, opening with a sublime 142 and also constructing breaks of 76 and 121 to lead 10-8 at the mid-session interval.

However, Allen, who is attempting to become the first player from Northern Ireland to reach the final since Dennis Taylor in 1985, showed he had also thrown off the shackles of negativity.

The 40-year-old enjoyed a run of 56, and well-crafted breaks of 85 and 99 enabled him to draw level at 10-10.

Wu, 22, who defeated Lei Peifan, Mark Selby and Hossein Vafaei to reach the last four, responded with his third century of the day.

But as the tension increased, in what felt like an important concluding frame to the session, Wu was unable to capitalise after getting the first opportunity.

That allowed Allen, who could become the oldest first-time winner at the Crucible, to make a couple of useful contributions and ensure there was nothing to divide the pair.

They return to play the final session of their best-of-33 encounter at 19:00 BST on Saturday, with a possible 11 frames still to get through, as they attempt to set up a title match against John Higgins or Shaun Murphy.