Wu Yize turned snooker’s second straight world champion from China after beating Shaun Murphy in a dramatic final-frame decider on the Crucible Theatre on Monday.
With his 18-17 victory, the 22-year-old Wu is the second-youngest winner of the worlds after Stephen Hendry at age 21 in 1990.
Wu follows in the footsteps of Zhao Xintong, who 12 months in the past became the first-ever champion from Asia in a milestone second for a recreation whose stronghold has all the time been in Britain.
“All of a sudden, the floodgates have opened,” six-time world champion Steve Davis stated of China getting back-to-back winners.
“The style in which they are playing is the benchmark for the European and British players to come.”
Wu’s unlikely victory — he’d by no means gained a match on the Crucible earlier than this 12 months — got here in the fourth remaining to go the space, and the primary since 2002.
Roars of “Wuuuuu” rang out across the storied venue after his title-clinching break of 85 in the decider, in which he pulled out a slew of attacking pictures which have been his trademark over the previous two weeks.
“At the beginning, I had a misunderstanding — I thought people were booing me,” Wu stated of the gang by a translator, “but then the staff told me they were cheering me on.”
He raised the trophy whereas having a flag of China draped round his shoulders.
Wu additionally beat Mark Allen in a decider in the semifinals — Allen missed a easy black off its spot for victory — and ousted four-time champion Mark Selby in the second spherical in his run to the title.
Murphy was attempting to win his second world snooker title, 21 years after his first. He has misplaced 4 finals since his maiden victory in 2005, which additionally got here as a 22-year-old.
“I hate being right,” Murphy stated. “Some time earlier in the season we had an excellent recreation out in China, which by some means I managed to win, and I got here out afterwards and stated he will probably be world champion in the future.
“It’s just a real shame it was today.”