Wu Yize impressively built a 10-7 lead over Shaun Murphy after the first day of the 2026 World Snooker Championship final and will require just seven more frames for victory when play resumes on Monday afternoon.
Wu, the 22-year-old Chinese prodigy trying to win his first world title, won seven of the next 10 frames after falling 4-3 behind as his barrage of high scoring left 2005 world champion Murphy largely stuck in his chair.
A protester briefly interrupted play during the afternoon session, before referee Rob Spencer restrained her, while mobile phones went off multiple times with the players down on shots, leading Spencer to have at least one audience member kicked out. But Wu overcame those distractions and looked to the manor born on the biggest stage, leaving 43-year-old Murphy with plenty to do on Monday.
A day of high semi-final drama had set up this mouthwatering clash, as Murphy stopped 50-year-old John Higgins becoming the oldest finalist in Crucible history by battling back from 15-13 down to snatch a 17-15 win, while Wu beat Mark Allen 17-16 in a match that included the longest frame in Crucible history and Allen missing a heartbreakingly simple black to reach his first world final. The nerveless Wu capitalised and now has the chance to match compatriot Zhao Xintong just 12 months after he became the first-ever Chinese world champion.
Follow all the action from the World Championship final at the Crucible below.
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Wu Yize: How the boy with bad technique became a star destined to win the World Snooker Championship
Want to know a little bit more about Wu Yize? Read Lawrence Ostlere’s profile of a man who may well fulfil what seems his destiny as a world champion.
Session times tomorrow
They’ll be back for more tomorrow – can Shaun Murphy fight back?
Shaun Murphy (8) v Wu Yize (10) – frames 18-25
Shaun Murphy (8) v Wu Yize (10) – to a conclusion
END OF SESSION: Shaun Murphy 7-10 Wu Yize
That session could hardly have gone better for Wu Yize. He wins it 6-3 and establishes a healthy three-frame lead over Shaun Murphy. It’s not terminal for the Englishman by any stretch of the imagination but Wu is in control and looks perfectly at home in his first world final.
Plenty for Murphy to ponder overnight before they resume to play eight more frames at 1pm tomorrow.
Shaun Murphy 7-10 Wu Yize – WU WINS FRAME 17
A pensive-looking Shaun Murphy can only watch from his chair as Wu cleans up the remaining reds and is showing no signs of making a mistake in this final frame.
He pots the final yellow to take it to snookers required and then clears the remaining colours for a sterling break of 91. Pure classy from the young Chinese cueman
Wu Yize wins frame 17 and takes a 10-7 lead overnight
Shaun Murphy 7-9 Wu Yize
Wu comes in and out of baulk off the blue but skillfully avoids all the colours lurking as obstacles. Now he’s finally back around the black spot and quickly eradicates the 39-point deficit entirely.
There don’t appear to be many hurdles between him and victory in this frame…
Shaun Murphy 7-9 Wu Yize
Wu rolls a long pot into the heart of the right corner pocket and then cuts the black in from off the cushion.
The shots aren’t getting any easier in this break as the second black is also a thin snick but his potting is superb and in it goes. His deficit closes to 39-20 and he’s back in prime position.
Shaun Murphy 7-9 Wu Yize
Murphy runs slightly out of position on 39 and ponders his options for more than a minute with pursed lips. Not often Murphy takes that long over a shot.
Eventually he begrudgingly plays safe off the green. He won’t have enjoyed that, given his attacking instincts, but it was the correct shot and he’ll fancy his chances of winning a safety battle against the younger man.
Shaun Murphy 7-9 Wu Yize
Murphy picks off the loose reds and is on 30 when he needs to go into the main cluster. Forces the cue ball through and lands nicely on the black, which he pots and does a secondary split to free a few more.
Classic break-building from the Magician and they’re beautifully spread now. He’ll be thinking frame-winning opportunity here.
Shaun Murphy 7-9 Wu Yize
Wu’s long-pot radar has begun to falter ever so slightly int he last half an hour or so. He misses a cut to the left corner and the cue ball doesn’t make it up beyond the pack.
Murphy can punch in the loose red and set about building an advantage in this vital final frame.
