Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize are all square following the first session of their 2026 World Snooker Championship final.
Wu, the 22-year-old Chinese prodigy trying to win his first world title, raced into a 3-0 lead but 2005 champion Murphy hit back with four frames on the spin, thanks to breaks of 85, 98, 77 and 109, before the younger man took the last to send us into this evening’s second session locked at 4-4.
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 in a classic, only for Wu and Mark Allen to overshadow that brilliance with their own late-night drama.
History had already been made in that match when they played out the longest frame in Crucible history on Friday afternoon – a 100-minute farce that was described as an embarrassment by six-time world champion Steve Davis – but Allen looked set to reach his first final as he lined up the simplest of blacks to seal a 17-15 win. Instead, the Northern Irishman somehow missed, Wu clinched the frame and then won the decider to leave his opponent heartbroken and set up a showdown with Murphy, aiming 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.
Shaun Murphy 5-7 Wu Yize
That’s the mid-session interval and it was a great little period for Wu Yize. He wins three of the four frames, with breaks of 82 nd 103 mixed in there, to build a handy little lead.
Five more still to play this evening and shun Murphy will be targeting winning them at least 3-2.
Shaun Murphy 5-7 Wu Yize – WU WINS FRAME 12
Great stuff by Wu Yize. Takes a couple of goes but he builds a big enough lead to get over the line and although Shaun Murphy briefly plays on for snookers, he soon leaves a red over the pocket.
Wu Yize wins frame 12 and leads 7-5
Shaun Murphy 5-6 Wu Yize
Wu makes 23 with his initial visit but manages to earn himself another chance and this is a golden opportunity to build up a big advantage with plenty of reds in the open.
Shaun Murphy 5-6 Wu Yize
Another Murphy break, another chance at a long red for Wu, which he duly knocks in. The special new Murphy break that isn’t supposed to leave a pot on is quantifiably NOT working so far in this match.
Wu gently splits the pack of reds with his next shot and he can pick off a few to build his lead here.
Shaun Murphy 5-6 Wu Yize – MURPHY WINS FRAME 11
Wu clears a few balls and tries to lay a snooker but it’s not great and Murphy soon pots the ball he needs to seal the deal.
Shaun Murphy wins frame 11 and closes the gap to 6-5.
Shaun Murphy 4-6 Wu Yize
Murphy clips the pack as he pots the blue to move 72 points ahead and releases a red but blocks it with the black. He’s forced to try a plant to right middle which doesn’t come off.
But he’s 72 points ahead with only 67 remaining, so Wu needs two snookers. He’ll play on for now, trying to clear a few reds and perhaps lay a snooker on the final one but this frame should be Murphy’s.
Shaun Murphy 4-6 Wu Yize
The black wipes its feet on the way in but Murphy keeps the break going on 46 and he soon passes 50. He’ll need to split the remaining cluster of four reds at some point.
Pulls out a nice mid-range pot on the blue to the green pocket and he’s only a couple of pots away.
Shaun Murphy 4-6 Wu Yize
Nothing wrong with Shaun Murphy’s long potting. He digs out another red and follows it with a blue to get the break going. He’d love to make a telling contribution here.
The reds are in a decent position, black on its spot and pink sort of available as well.
Shaun Murphy 4-6 Wu Yize – WU WINS FRAME 10
The pink is up among the baulk colours but that’s the only potential hurdle for Wu.
NO! Misses the long pink to the yellow pocket. But wait… It careers along the top cushion, hits the jaws of the green pocket and then goes across the table into the right middle. Ha! What a fluke and what a way to bring up your first century in a world final.
A break of 103 and Wu Yize wins the second frame of the evening to lead 6-4.
Shaun Murphy 4-5 Wu Yize
This is another well-constructed break from Wu. Gentle cannons free the reds little by little and he hurtles towards the winning line.
Just a red along the bottom cushion to leave Murphy needing snookers and rolls it in nicely. Will this be the moment for his first century?
