IS SNOOKER ON THE VERGE OF CHINESE TAKEOVER? WU YIZE REVEALS WHAT HE LOVES MOST ABOUT SPORT AFTER LANZHOU LION'S EPIC WORLD.l CHAMPIONSHIP TRIUMPH

"Wu's next?" is the question you might be asking after the 50th World Championship delivered a stylish Chinese winner for the second straight year.

Wu Yize of China poses with the World Snooker Championship trophy after defeating Shaun Murphy of England 18-17 in the final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, May 4, 2026. /VCG

Wu Yize became the fourth straight first-time holder of the sport's greatest trophy with an epic 18-17 victory over 2005 champion Shaun Murphy, in only the fourth final-frame decider since Sheffield first staged the event in 1977.

The Lanzhou Lion with the ferocious long game has explained why he revels in the quieter moments of the sport, which saw him defeat Lei Peifan (10-2), Mark Selby (13-11), Hossein Vafaei (13-8) and Mark Allen (17-16) before toppling the freewheeling Murphy in a heavyweight title match.

"I wish to stay healthy and keep playing snooker," said Wu, speaking to media in China. "I hope it can always be by my side for the rest of my life.

"Loneliness is an integral part of snooker. It's a quiet sport that demands patience and reflection. I think it's truly a blessing to take it as a passion."

With a record 11 players from China appearing on the starting grid this year, and the world's second-most populous country of 1.4 billion boasting back-to-back Crucible winners, it is worth wondering if we are at the start of Chinese domination of the sport.

Indeed, in Wu and last year's world champion Zhao Xintong, China have two players inside the top five of the game's ranking for the first time.

Yet when you look at the changes in the rankings over the past decade, it is probably a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same.

While China can boast five players inside the top 16, there is hardly a revolution underway, certainly not in terms of the world rankings, which were first published 50 years ago.

Selby was world No. 1 after he defeated Ding Junhui 18-14 in the 2016 final in Sheffield, with Ding the only Chinese player inside the top 16.

Judd Trump, Murphy, Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Mark Allen, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, Barry Hawkins and Kyren Wilson were all among the elite a decade ago.

And they remain inside the top 16 in 2026 with Stuart Bingham, Ricky Walden, Joe Perry, Marco Fu and Martin Gould the men to drop out, and Zhao, Wu, Xiao Guodong, Chris Wakelin and Si Jiahui the new arrivals.

It means a quarter of the top 16 are from China, but age is perhaps a better indicator of future patterns.

While Zhao, Wu and Si are all in their 20s, of the remaining 12 non-Chinese professionals, three are in their 50s, five their 40s and the other four in their 30s.

"Snooker is a very comprehensive and challenging sport," said Wu. "It can be different every time. You never get the same ball layout twice. I really enjoy that ever-changing feel of the game. "

The rankings feel like they are never-changing, appearing to move as quickly as Wu and Mark Allen's longest Crucible frame in Sheffield.

Time is probably on China's side, but as the rankings show, a similar narrative was also being spouted a decade ago.

World rankings 2015/16

1. Mark Selby (Eng)

2. Stuart Bingham (Eng)

3. Judd Trump (Eng)

4. Shaun Murphy (Eng)

5. Neil Robertson (Aus)

6. John Higgins (Sco)

7. Mark Allen (NI)

8. Ricky Walden (Eng)

9. Ding Junhui (Chn)

10. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)

11. Joe Perry (Eng)

12. Marco Fu (HK)

13. Mark Williams (Wal)

14. Barry Hawkins (Eng)

15. Martin Gould (Eng)

16. Kyren Wilson (Eng)

World rankings 2025/26

1. Judd Trump (Eng)

2. Neil Robertson (Aus)

3. Zhao Xintong (Chn)

4. Wu Yize (Chn)

5. John Higgins (Sco)

6. Shaun Murphy (Eng)

7. Mark Williams (Wal)

8. Kyren Wilson (Eng)

9. Mark Selby (Eng)

10. Barry Hawkins (Eng)

11. Xiao Guodong (Chn)

12. Mark Allen (NI)

13. Chris Wakelin (Eng)

14. Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng)

15. Ding Junhui (Chn)

16. Si Jiahui (Chn)

- DESMOND KANE

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN FURIOUSLY PUNCHES TABLE AT WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP AS ICON SEES RED

Ronnie O'Sullivan enjoyed a strong start to this year's World Snooker Championship, but signs of frustration have been visible in the Rocket

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been impressive in this year's World Snooker Championship(Image: George Wood, Getty Images)

Ronnie O'Sullivan couldn't hide his frustration during his World Snooker Championship game with Si Jiahui. Before his quarter-final against the Chinese ace, O'Sullivan had been close to faultless at the Crucible this year, despite missing the best part of three months of snooker in the build-up.

He is in a strong position against Si, leading 10-6 after their second session. Yet, that does not mean everything went perfectly for the Essex-born potter.

At one stage during the clash, he punched the table in immense frustration after missing a shot in the morning session. O'Sullivan's form has been top-notch at this year's World Championship, having already dispatched Ali Carter and Junxu Pang in the initial rounds.

He dominated the first day against Si, securing a comfortable 6-2 lead overnight. Eager to finish the match swiftly, O'Sullivan had a 22-point advantage in the 11th frame.

However, after sinking the pink, the cue ball ended up too close to the cushion for his liking, complicating his subsequent shot on the red. This misstep clearly irked the experienced player, prompting him to strike the table with his fist, reports the Express.

BBC commentator Shaun Murphy reckoned it was the first time O'Sullivan has been irked in the competition so far. He said: "A bit of frustration showing this morning from Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is trying to push the cue ball into that red and you can see what he thinks of it."

Seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry replied: "Yeah I think that frustration was building from the shot from the yellow, not landing perfectly on the red."

Ronnie O'Sullivan punched the table during his World Snooker Championship clash with Si Jiahui(Image: BBC)

O'Sullivan rectified his initial mishap with a solid performance, potting the subsequent red and expertly positioning on the blue. From there, he dominated the frame to push ahead into an 8-3 lead.

"He's rescued the situation," exclaimed Hendry. Murphy chimed in with praise for O'Sullivan's recovery, saying: "Yeah we're so used to seeing Ronnie's pinpoint accurate cue ball control.

"We've not seen that here at the moment. He's really having to work for these. That cue ball's doing a lot more steps than it would do normally."

O'Sullivan did regain his composure in time(Image: George Wood, Getty Images)

By the end of the second session, despite the odd moment of frustration, O'Sullivan roared into a 10-6 lead over the Chinese ace. He will only need three more frames to reach the last four and put himself in contention for a record breaking eighth world title.

Few would have anticipated such a surge from O'Sullivan, given his tumultuous start to 2025. He had only recorded one victory in the whole of 2025, a narrow win over Zak Jones in the Championship League.

He then pulled out of the German Masters and the UK Open at the last minute, prompting worry and confusion from the rest of the snooker world. Now O'Sullivan looks to be back to something resembling his best, he will certainly take some stopping in Sheffield.

- Tom Parsons

CHINA'S XIAO GUODONG CAPTURES FIRST-EVER RANKING TITLE AT WUHAN OPEN

Xiao Guodong of China prepares to take a shot against Si Jiahui of China in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao Guodong of China outlasted compatriot Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final at the World Snooker Tour (WST) Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Saturday, winning the first ranking title of his career.

Both players overcame a series of top opponents to advance to the championship contest. Xiao knocked out World No. 2 Kyren Wilson and world champion Shaun Murphy of England, while Si defeated World No. 1 and 29-time ranking event winner Judd Trump of England.

The match at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center marked the third time for two Chinese players to face each other in a final. Eleven years ago, Xiao found himself on the losing end of the first all-Chinese title match on the Tour, when he fell to Ding Junhui 10-6 in the Shanghai Masters final in 2013.

Xiao closed the first session leading 6-3. He took four of the first five frames and tallied breaks of 128 and 73 in the eighth and ninth. Si, despite being outperformed, reeled off a century run of 108, in addition to two breaks of 84, in the three frames he clinched.

Xiao Guodong (R) of China displays the championship trophy after beating Si Jiahui of China 10-7 in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao started the second session with an 82-0 run in the 10th frame, but Si immediately responded a break of 109 to take the 11th. Xiao then extended his lead to 9-4 with a century run of 113, and a break of 77, in the following two frames.

Although Si rallied again to claim three straight frames, including rolling in a break of 131 in the 15th, Xiao came back by laying a snooker on the last red ball in the 16th to seal the deal.

"Before winning a title, I thought the moment of victory would be incredibly exciting," the 35-year-old Xiao said. "I'm really happy now, but it's not as overwhelming as I imagined. Nevertheless, I feel that all the hard work over the years has finally paid off. For a player, winning a title is extremely important. I turned professional in 2007, and after 17 years of competing, I've finally won my first ranking title. No matter what, it's all been worth it."

"I was a bit nervous in the final, but I have no regrets. I played well enough. It's a bit of a pity, but it's okay. I'll come back next time and aim to win my first title," Si noted. "The Masters (scheduled for January) is an opportunity to play against the top 16 players, which is a great chance to learn from them. Gaining experiences like these will be very helpful for me in the future."

- CGTN