Wu Yize hails from Lanzhou in northwest China, a city famous for its beef noodles. The clear broth with radish slices, chilli oil, and herbs is what he misses most aside from his family. Though there are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Sheffield, none taste like home. This is one small cost of being among the world's best young snooker players.
Wu moved to Yorkshire three years ago to join the growing stable of Chinese players in the city. Now 22, he has reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship for the first time as the 10th seed. Last season, he made finals at the English Open and Scottish Open. He is another product of China's impressive production line, following Zhao Xintong, who became the first Chinese world champion last year.
Early Beginnings and Rapid Rise
Wu started playing snooker as soon as he could hold a cue. His mother ran the family antiques business while his father took him to tournaments to nurture his talent. At age 11, his father took him to the Yushan International Billiards Academy to be seen by Australian coach Roger Leighton.
"When he came to me, his highest break was 49," Leighton recalls. "After a couple of weeks, he hit an 86. I said, 'That's great, amazing.' He said, 'It's no good, because Ronnie would have cleared up.' That's his mentality. But he was a fun-loving kid. If he missed a ball he hated it, but he laughed a lot as a way of releasing pressure."
Wu had technical issues, including his arm dropping through his takeaway and his wrist moving as he pushed the cue through. "He had a few big problems with consistency," Leighton says. "He would miss too many easy balls." However, Wu improved rapidly, winning the Under-21 World Championship at just 14. At 15, he pushed John Higgins to a deciding frame at the 2019 International Championship in China, eventually losing 6-5. He turned professional at 17 and made his Crucible debut at 19. His first ranking title came at last year's International Championship, where he beat Higgins in the final.
Breakthrough and Praise from Legends
During that tournament in Nanjing, Wu delivered a whirlwind of potting and break-building, scoring 14 centuries in 63 frames. He came from 4-0 down against world No. 1 Judd Trump to win six frames in a row, then beat Barry Hawkins 6-0 and world champion Zhao in the semi-finals. After the final, Higgins paid him a huge compliment: "He reminds me so much of the late, great Paul Hunter. He's a new superstar. I'm glad I'll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades."
Asked about the comparison, Wu smiled: "Paul Hunter was a really good-looking guy."
Shaun Murphy has tipped Wu to be a future world champion, and Ronnie O'Sullivan likened him to a "more dynamic" version of Steve Davis. "I practised with him for two or three days in Hong Kong," O'Sullivan said. "It's not until you practise with someone that you can really appreciate how good they are. After day two, I was like, 'This kid is really special.'"
Mentality and Family Support
Leighton believes Wu could be world champion in three to five years and definitely world No. 1. "He punishes mistakes and scores well. He didn't get into the top 16 as soon as he wanted, but he's got there. Now he's won a tournament, he's very confident. If he can get one or two more wins, he's going to be a real threat." Leighton also highlights Wu's special mentality: "He feels nerves, but it's a different mentality; it's a cultural thing built into Chinese players. I've seen them playing matches, knocking in long balls, big breaks, and then they say, 'I felt so nervous, I was shaking.' And I think, really?"
Wu's family remains a constant support. When he struggled with a damaged tip during his impressive Masters debut in January, his father flew from Lanzhou to Alexandra Palace to help fix it. "My parents are everything," Wu said. "My dad has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He's helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK. I'm so grateful."
Wu is the youngest player in the world's top 16. His run to this year's Crucible semi-finals includes impressive wins over Mark Selby and Hossein Vafaei. Mark Allen awaits in what will be another testing assignment. But Wu has a long list of big-name scalps already in his career, and Allen will not relish meeting one of the game's rising talents in his hometown from home.
