Wu wins first title since Crucible as Chinese snooker hits new high

Wu Yize clinched his inaugural ranking title since ascending to world champion status with a 10-5 victory over Yuan Sijun in the all-Chinese final of the Shenzhen Open. The 22-year-old's profitable week propels him to a career-high world ranking of second, trailing behind Zhao Xintong. This achievement marks China as the leading snooker nation, with both Wu and Zhao now occupying the top two spots in the rankings.

Wu claimed the prestigious title at the Crucible in May, beating Shaun Murphy, and followed up with a composed performance against Yuan at the Bao'an Sports Centre on Sunday. After defeating Judd Trump 6-1 in the semi-finals, Wu led 3-1 against Yuan in the opening frame. However, Yuan broke through with three consecutive frames.

Wu rebounded with two more half-centuries in the final session's concluding frames, securing a 5-4 lead in the best-of-19 match. The likelihood of a tightly contested final dwindled as Wu took control at 8-5 in the evening session due to Yuan's struggles with safety play. No comeback was possible for Yuan, who dropped seven spots to 26th and earned £76,000, while Wu moved to second and earned £177,000.