Wu Yize holds a 10-7 lead over Shaun Murphy after the first two sessions of the World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The Chinese 22-year-old, aiming to become only the second player from his country to win the title after Zhao Xintong last year, produced a fearless display to edge ahead in the best-of-35-frame contest.
The afternoon session saw the scores level at 4-4 after a dramatic opening. Wu raced into a 3-0 lead before Murphy, the 2005 champion, responded with four consecutive frames, including breaks of 85, 98, 77 and 109. However, Wu won the eighth frame to ensure parity heading into the evening.
In the evening session, Wu dominated with high-risk, attacking snooker, compiling a stunning 103 break as he moved 8-5 ahead. Murphy, representing the older generation at 42, fought back to reduce the deficit to 9-7, but Wu won the final frame of the day to establish a three-frame advantage overnight.
The first to 18 frames will be crowned champion on Monday. A victory for Murphy would set a record for the longest gap between world titles, while Wu would become the fourth first-time winner in four years, following Kyren Wilson, Luca Brecel and Zhao.
The final has already seen off-table drama, including a protester who interrupted play in the third frame, shouting comments about the TV licence fee before being removed by referee Rob Spencer. Celebrities such as cricketer Chris Woakes and former footballer David Seaman were among the spectators.
