SNOOKER: Wu becomes second-youngest Crucible champion after epic 18-17 win

SHEFFIELD, England – Wu Yize became the second-youngest winner of the Snooker World Championship after the 22-year-old edged Briton Shaun Murphy 18–17 in a dramatic deciding-frame thriller on Monday.

The Chinese star overcame a fierce challenge from former champion Murphy, who fought back after trailing overnight to extend the contest deep into Monday evening at the Crucible Theatre.

Wu is now the second-youngest world champion in history, behind only Stephen Hendry, who won his first title at age 21 in 1990. He also became China’s second world champion, following Zhao Xintong’s triumph at the Crucible last year.

Zhao had earlier been eliminated in the quarterfinals by Murphy, nicknamed “The Magician,” who captured his first world title in 2005—when Wu was not yet two years old.

Despite the pressure of a tense final filled with momentum swings, Wu remained composed throughout. The match was level at 14–14, 15–15, and 16–16 during a gripping evening session, with both players refusing to give ground.

The contest ultimately went to a final frame, where Wu took control after a cautious start and delivered a decisive 85-point break to secure the championship.

“Very proud. It’s been an excellent couple of weeks for me and my team. I have had a wonderful time in Sheffield, an amazing time. We have had some laughs, and gee, did we come close. We were very, very close,” Murphy told BBC Two.

“I’d like to be the first to congratulate Wu Yize and his family, and everyone around him for being a wonderful world champion. I hate being right—I said earlier in the season that he would be world champion one day. It’s just a real shame that it was today,” he added.

Along with the trophy, which dates back to 1926, Wu will receive £500,000 ($676,400) in prize money and is expected to break into the world’s top 10 rankings.

($1 = 0.7392 pounds)

-Reporting by Christian Radnedge in London, additional reporting by Janina Nuno Rios. Editing by Reuters