Wu Yize's stunning semi-final victory over Mark Allen has secured China a place in the World Snooker Championship final for the second year running. The 22-year-old from Lanzhou is now one match away from snooker's biggest prize, having overcome a challenging path that began when he moved to Sheffield at 16, sharing a cramped flat with his father.
Wu turned professional at 17 and has rapidly risen to 10th in the world rankings. His breakthrough season included his first ranking title at the International Championship in Nanjing last November and a semi-final appearance at the Masters on debut. Now, he faces Shaun Murphy in a best-of-35 final that pits two attacking players from different generations — Wu was just 18 months old when Murphy won his only world title in 2005.
"I want to give my best efforts and everything I have got to try to win the World Championship," Wu told BBC Sport. "Shaun Murphy has been playing well throughout the tournament... so it's going to be a very tough match but I believe both players are going to give their best."
Wu's journey has been fueled by inspiration from last year's champion Zhao Xintong, and he has drawn guidance from legends Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins. Should he win, he would become the second youngest world champion after Stephen Hendry. Off the table, the self-described mobile gamer (enjoying Honour of Kings and League of Legends) and fan of The Shawshank Redemption has his eyes on a £500,000 prize — and a dream home for his mother, who is in Sheffield supporting him.