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

SHAUN MURPHY ERUPTS AND DEMANDS ANSWERS AS WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP STAFF 'FACE SACK'

Shaun Murphy was left fuming during the World Snooker Championship after being distracted by a sudden burst of light and has called for a full investigation into how it happened

Shaun Murphy spoke at length about 'Lightgate'(Image: Getty Images)

Shaun Murphy has called for answers from snooker's 'Lightgate' investigation. The former world champion has also taken another dig at his outspoken heckler, cautioning him that the Crucible is no place for football stadium behaviour.

Murphy starts his World Snooker Championship second round match on Thursday against Chinese ace Xiao Guodong. Yet the strange incidents during his first-round victory over Fan Zhengyi continue to dominate conversation. Murphy was incensed on Tuesday evening after being caught out by an unexpected flash of light.

With the match between Judd Trump and Gary Wilson wrapping up on the adjacent table, they switched off the lights and raised the partition to give the entire arena a view of the gripping conclusion.

However, as the Magician lined up a crucial shot with the contest delicately poised at 8-8, Murphy was thrown off guard when those lights from the neighbouring table suddenly came back on mid-stroke.

The 2005 champion immediately confronted officials backstage after the frame and, though he went on to clinch the match 10-9, it did nothing to quell his anger afterwards. Murphy said: "We don't ask for much as snooker players, leave the lights off is one of them.

"It affected the shot; it affected the match, that was poor. I think World Snooker are having a bit of an inquest into how that happened because that shouldn't happen.

The incident didn't go down well with Shaun Murphy

"I hope to find out because that should never happen. I've never seen the light come on a table here, just phantom. World Snooker are having an inquest; somebody might not be employed tomorrow.

"I was on the blue, and it really put me off because, as I was about to strike, the lights came on, I didn't hit that ball as I intended.

"I meant to hit it a bit harder, and it made me stop on it. Maybe if I'd hit the ball as I meant to, I'd have been on a red better, and the break might have carried on.

"I was lucky the blue went in because literally, as I was about to hit the ball, I could see the reflection of the light come on the blue, and it totally took my eye off. I was lucky the blue went in, but it really altered the way I was going to hit the ball. I didn't get the pace in it I wanted; it affected the result of the shot.

"That was a new one. I've been coming here for a long time now, and I've never had that happen before. It could hardly have happened at a more important moment."

When asked how he would have reacted had he lost the match, he added: "I would have been very upset, absolutely. I came off the table straight after that frame and happened to see the tournament director in the corridor. I said: 'Regardless of whether I win or lose, I think we need to look into what's happened here.' I think I won that frame to go 9-8 ahead. That shouldn't happen; these are basics, but weird things happen at the Crucible. It's only a few years since we had a pigeon in here."

Murphy, meanwhile, took another swipe at the spectator who became rather vocal during the opening session of his victory over Zhengyi. He turned to social media during the match interval to hit back at someone saying "s**t shot", but delivered a fuller account once the game had finished and did not hold back.

Shaun Murphy had plenty to say after his first round match(Image: 2025 VCG)

The former world champion said: "I've got no idea where they were, I think they were sat on the front row. I played a blue in and out of baulk, as it came round, I clipped the green, came off the cushion, cannoned into the reds. It was pretty much the shot I played. It was actually quite a good shot; I've definitely played worse shots.

"Then literally as the applause died down, he went 'shit shot.' It's unlike me, I would normally confront somebody like that because we're not football, you don't behave like that at the Crucible. As I got down to play the next red, I was still thinking: 'Jeez, maybe they've had a bit too much hospitality, they might have been enjoying the beer a bit too much.' And before I knew it, I'd missed the red, it was a lesson, I suppose, that if you're disturbed, start again."

- Matthew Abbott

SUPER COMPUTER PREDICTS SNOOKER 2025 WORLD CHAMPION

 

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