Wu Yize wins Snooker World Championship in deciding-frame showdown over Shaun Murphy to become second-youngest champion

Wu Yize has become the second-youngest player to win the Snooker World Championship after beating Shaun Murphy 18-17.

In an enthralling final, the match came down to the deciding frame to leave the Crucible crowd on tenterhooks.

It is only the fourth time the showpiece match has reached a concluding frame since the tournament moved to Sheffield in 1977 and first since Peter Ebdon beat Stephen Hendry in 2002.

The 22-year-old’s becomes the tournament’s second-youngest winner behind Hendry who triumphed at the age of 21 in 1990.

Wu, who won £500,000 and will now become the world No 4, dedicated the victory to his parents who were in attendance.

‘I have been trying to go for this for ages,’ said the Chinese star, who shared an embrace with Murphy after making his match-winning break. ‘For the past few months, I have been living the same life. I am so happy that I could play well today.’

‘My parents are the true champions. Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has also been going through a lot over the years. They are the source of my strength, I love them so much.’

Shaun Murphy gracious in defeat

Murphy, who won the title in 2005, has now lost his last four Crucible finals. Despite the latest heartbreak he praised his opponent.

‘I’d like to be the first to congratulate Wu Yize and his family, and everyone around him for being a wonderful world champion,’ Murphy said.

‘I hate being right – I said sometime earlier in the season when we had a great game out in China somewhere, I won that one but I came out afterwards and said that he would be world champion one day. It’s just a real shame that it was today, but I couldn’t have given it any more, I couldn’t have tried harder.

‘I played the best shots I could have played and I didn’t get my chance. I couldn’t do any more than that.’