Wu wins first title since Crucible at Shenzhen Open

Wu Yize claimed his first ranking title since becoming world champion with a 10-5 victory over Yuan Sijun in the all-Chinese final at the Shenzhen Open. At just 22 years old, this win pushes Wu to a career-high world ranking of second place, behind Zhao Xintong. This achievement highlights China's growing dominance in the sport, as the country now leads the global rankings for the first time.

Wu previously became the second-youngest player to win snooker's top title at the Crucible when he defeated Shaun Murphy in May. He followed that up with a composed performance in the Shenzhen Open final, which took place at the Bao'an Sports Centre on Sunday. After defeating Judd Trump 6-1 in the semi-finals, Wu established an early lead with breaks of 117 and 80, moving 3-1 ahead against Yuan.

However, Yuan mounted a comeback, winning three consecutive frames. Wu responded with two more half-centuries in the final frames of the opening session, taking a 5-4 lead in the best-of-19 match. The prospect of a tightly contested final soon faded away. Wu dominated the evening session with breaks of 74 and 62, as Yuan struggled with his safety play. There was no way back for Yuan, who finished the match in 26th place and earned £76,000, while Wu secured the £177,000 top prize.