Wu Yize becomes snooker's second straight world champion from China

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 hadWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times