05/04/26 05:10:00
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05/04 17:08 CDT Wu beats Murphy in deciding frame to become snooker's second
straight world champ from China
Wu beats Murphy in deciding frame to become snooker's second straight world
champ from China
By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
Wu Yize became snooker's second straight world champion from China after
beating Shaun Murphy in a dramatic final-frame decider at 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 ago became the
first-ever champion from Asia in a milestone moment for a game whose stronghold
has always been in Britain.
"All of a sudden, the floodgates have opened," six-time world champion Steve
Davis said 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 never won a match at the Crucible before this
year --- came in the fourth final to go the distance, and the first since 2002.
Roars of "Wuuuuu" rang out around the storied venue after his title-clinching
break of 85 in the decider, in which he pulled out a slew of attacking shots
that have been his trademark over the past two weeks.
"At the beginning, I had a misunderstanding --- I thought people were booing
me," Wu said of the crowd through a translator, "but then the staff told me
they were cheering me on."
He raised the trophy while having a flag of China draped around his shoulders.
Wu also beat Mark Allen in a decider in the semifinals --- Allen missed a
simple black off its spot for victory --- and ousted four-time champion Mark
Selby in the second round in his run to the title.
Murphy was trying to win his second world snooker title, 21 years after his
first. He has lost four finals since his maiden victory in 2005, which also
came as a 22-year-old.
"I hate being right," Murphy said. "Some time earlier in the season we had a
great game out in China, which somehow I managed to win, and I came out
afterwards and said he will be world champion one day.
"It's just a real shame it was today."
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
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