Chinese youngster Wu Yize wins maiden World Snooker Championship title in final thriller

The 22-year-old becomes the second youngest-ever winner of snooker's blue riband event, only behind Stephen Hendry who was a year younger when he claimed the first of his seven world crowns in 1990.

A Championship that was first won by Joe Davis in 1927, China’s first two champions have come in consecutive editions, with Wu completing the back-to-back feat for his nation following Zhao Xintong’s historic breakthrough twelve months ago.

After the opening session of the final was shared on Sunday afternoon, Wu produced a brilliant display in the evening act, carving open a three-frame advantage with a 10-7 overnight lead.

On resumption the next afternoon, though, there were worrying signs for Wu fans, as he began to make mistakes, and Murphy punished his young opponent with five frames in-a-row to completely turn the tables for a 12-10 profit - the first time he’d been in front by more than a frame.

However, momentum and the pendulum shifted again, as Wu regrouped by taking the next three frames to reclaim the lead at 13-12 heading into the concluding session a few hours later.

Wu doubled his advantage in the evening’s opener with an impressive 88 for his fourth successive frame, but reigning British Open champion Murphy steadied his ship with an 82 before moping up in frame 28 to restore parity at 14-14.

Then there were two big steals either side of the final mid-session interval; Wu clearing with 41 to pinch frame 29, but Murphy following suit with a counter of 65 in the next to take it on the black after his opponent had made a 70 break.

Fearless Wu was unperturbed by that disappointment, though, fashioning a 56 as he eked back in front before 43-year-old Murphy responded again, this time with a brilliant effort of 131 - his 12th century of the tournament - to make it 16-16.

'The Magician' got in first in the 33rd frame, but faltered on 45, leaving the door open for Wu to craft a 91 clearance and reach the hill.

Snooker's new starboy then had the opportunity to win the title, but when well-placed on a break of 43, he missed a straightforward black off its spot thinking about position. The 2005 champion Murphy - appearing in his fifth world final - stepped up to produce a nerveless contribution of 75 to force the contest all the way.

Only the fourth time in Crucible history that the final has gone to a deciding frame - and the first since 2002 - Murphy got in early on but fell out of position when bumping into the black unfavourably.

After a passage of play, Murphy was in trouble after a slice of luck from his peer that left him hampered cueing over the yellow, meaning he had to play a containing safety leaving the cueball near the top cushion.

Tempted by an incredibly difficult shot under the circumstances, arguably the sport's best single ball potter right now Wu dropped a red into a middle pocket and proceeded to compile a World Championship-winning break of 85 under the most intense of green baize pressure.

Having reached his first two ranking event finals last season, Wu created his big career breakthrough earlier this term with his maiden ranking title on home soil at the International Championship.

That result pushed him up into the world’s top 16 for the first time, and only several weeks later he was within a few pots of reaching the Masters final on debut.

Coming into this year’s Crucible - his third outing on the sport’s grandest stage - Wu had never won a match there before.

He put that record straight by crushing fellow countryman Lei Peifan 10-2 in the opening round before showing maturity in getting past four-time world champion and reigning UK Champion Mark Selby 13-11 in the last 16.

Wu then eliminated the final remaining qualifier Hossein Vafaei 13-8 in the quarter-finals before somehow ousting Mark Allen 17-16 in an extraordinary semi-final that featured a ‘record-breaking’ 100-minute frame, and the former world number one missing a black at 16-15 up to reach the final.

Six players from outside of the United Kingdom have now conquered the Crucible, and the three most recent of those have come within the last four years.

The £500,000 that Wu collects is nearly treble his previous highest payday in the sport. He moves up to a career-high of world number four in the rankings - he was 20th when he began the season.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 World Snooker Championship, visit our tournament information centre here.