Ronnie O’Sullivan will likely be delighted after Wu Yize triumphed within the 2026 World Snooker Championship closing on the Crucible.
Wu Yize was topped the 2026 world champion on Monday evening (Picture: Getty)
Ronnie O’Sullivan will likely be delighted that Wu Yize has joined him as a fellow World Snooker Championship winner. The Chinese language expertise, on simply his third ever look on the Crucible, defeated Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a dramatic deciding body within the closing on Monday evening to say the £500,000 prime prize. He turns into simply the thirtieth completely different participant ever to win the World Championship, which started in 1927.
Wu led 10-7 in a single day however noticed his benefit trimmed to 13-12 earlier than the ultimate session. But Murphy didn’t lead the match all night because the pair finally went to an epic decider which Wu gained 85-8. And it comes after O’Sullivan revealed final week that he has been mentoring the 22-year-old potter from Lanzhou. The seven-time world champion mentioned that he is completely satisfied to see the brand new world No.4 win tournaments, having solely lately predicted his youthful rival would quickly raise the World Championship trophy.
We use your sign-up to offer content material in methods you’ve got consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This will likely embody adverts from us and third events primarily based on our understanding. You’ll be able to unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
Associated articles
Shaun Murphy’s message to fiancee after shedding dramatic closing cracks up crowd
Wu Yize leaves mum in tears after pausing successful World Championship speech
O’Sullivan mentioned: “I might assist any participant. I assist gamers I like. If I feel they have potential and I feel I might information him in the fitting means. A bit like what Ray [Reardon] carried out for me. With Wu Yize. I mentioned: ‘I feel you must enhance on this space.
“‘I am satisfied of that, for those who do not, I am satisfied you are simply going to maintain getting what you bought.’ Do you wish to be a champion? And he [Wu] was like: ‘Yeah, yeah.’
“‘You may not wish to do that, however if you wish to be a champion, you are going to have to do that regardless of how good you’re,’ as a result of he is an exceptional expertise.
“It has been good to see him take that on board and whether or not it is helped him or not, I do not know, however when he wins and does properly, it makes me completely satisfied. If I felt like I might add that to a participant, I’d.”
O’Sullivan solely predicted in February that Wu would quickly be the king of the Crucible. The Rocket mentioned: “I feel Wu Yize goes to be world No.1 within the subsequent three years, positively world champion very quickly. Phenomenal snooker participant.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is an enormous fan of Wu Yize (Picture: Getty)
Wu Yize is China’s second successive snooker world champion (Picture: Getty)
“Lots of people liken him to Paul Hunter, however I feel he is extra like a modern-day Steve Davis. He is extra dynamic, he has extra cue energy, extra scoring energy. However his positional play, for me, it’s on the extent of Steve Davis.
“The whole lot goes in the course of the outlet. I practised with him for 2 or three days in Hong Kong not way back, and it isn’t till you practise with somebody you’ll be able to recognize how good [they] are. After two days, I believed, ‘This child’s actually particular.’
“I might like to see him go and fulfil his potential as an expert. He is solely 22. I anticipate him to do lots of nice issues in snooker. It is necessary to have gamers you wish to watch. I’d watch him all day lengthy.”
Wu has lengthy been regarded as a future celebrity and had reached three rating occasion finals earlier than this one. He was additionally a Masters semi-finalist on debut.
En path to World Championship glory, Wu additionally noticed off Lei Peifan, four-time world champion Mark Selby, Hossein Vafaei and Mark Allen earlier than getting the higher of 2005 world champion Murphy.
The World Championship is just the second rating title of the Chinese language participant’s profession after he beat John Higgins to win the Worldwide Championship in Nanjing final yr. That took him into the highest 16 of the world rankings for the primary time in his profession. He’ll now rise into fourth, becoming a member of his compatriot Zhao Xintong – who’s No.3 – within the prime 4.
Leave a Reply