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.
WATCH: Murphy makes first century of the final
Here’s how Shaun Murphy made the first century of the day – a fantastic 109 that briefly put him in the lead against Wu Yize
End of session: Shaun Murphy 4-4 Wu Yize
An intriguing first session of this final. Wu Yize built a 3-0 lead as Shaun Murphy missed numerous chances but the 2005 world champion then hit back in style, winning four frames on the spin with breaks of 85, 98, 77 and 109 to take the lead.
However, the 22-year-old Chinese star regrouped and took the final frame of the session to level the match at 4-4.
They’ll play nine more frames this evening, from 7pm BST.
Shaun Murphy 4-4 Wu Yize – WU WINS FRAME EIGHT
Murphy forced to pot the red, and takes a black to follow, before Wu manages to knock in the yellow, leaving Murphy needing three snookers.
Shortly after he ends the pain by potting the green and Wu Yize wins frame eight to level the match at 4-4.
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Wu Yize doesn’t look comfortable when the frame comes down to his opponent playing for snookers. He sends the pink careering dangerously close to the middle pocket at one point.
Luckily for him, Shaun Murphy misses a couple of decent opportunities to lay some really testing snookers. It’s never been Murphy’s game, really. He’s more of a breakbuilder. But he gamely plays on, looking for some magic on the final red.
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Doesn’t screw the cue ball high enough off the penultimate red and has left himself a really thin cut on the black to the corner. Hits both jaws and stays out, hanging over the pocket!
That means Murphy now needs two snookers as he trails by 41 points with only 35 on. Barring shenanigans, Wu is going to level this at 4-4
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Wu Yize rattles a red in the jaws of the pocket that would have made the frame safe.
Murphy pots it, fails to dislodge a red that has run safe but pots the green and does bring it off the cushion into a pottable position! Lovely shot. He needs blacks with both remaining reds (plus the colours) though to win the frame by a point.
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Murphy tries to flick the safe red off the left cushion but misses the cannon. Has to play safe but does bring that safe red into play by doing so. Trails 65-19.
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Murphy pots the first red but overscrews the cue ball and is forced to play the yellow. That removes his margin of error for the rest of the break with colours he can afford to take. Now 62 behind with 67 points on.
He’s also got one red safe on the left cushion. Does well to pot the black into the green pocket to bring it back down to its spot at least. Work to do though.
Shaun Murphy 4-3 Wu Yize
Moves the break to 56 and then picks off the final loose red. He’ll need to go into the central cluster of six to free another one.
He’s too straight on the black to go into the bunch, so leaves himself a long pot into the green pocket on the red but he’s cueing over the black… A key shot here.
BRILLIANT POT! The cue is jacked up but he jabs it perfectly and the red flies in. Superb. However, he’s left with a tricky black to right middle to follow. Can’t make it. Leaves it low.
Exits the table with a lead of 65 point but there’s enough left on the table for Murphy.
