Wu Yize opened up a 10-7 lead over Shaun Murphy in the World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, putting himself on track to become the second-youngest player to win the title. The 22-year-old Chinese star is three months younger than Murphy was when he won his only world title in 2005, and would trail only Stephen Hendry, who was 21 when he triumphed in 1990. If Wu holds off the Englishman on Monday, he would also become the second consecutive Chinese winner after Zhao Xintong.
Wu moved to Sheffield from Lanzhou with his father at age 16 to pursue his dream, and Sunday's second session showed that dream is within reach. He started the evening session with a blistering performance after the afternoon session ended 4-4—a session briefly interrupted by a female spectator jumping the barrier, quickly dealt with by referee Rob Spencer and security.
Breaks of 82 and 103 gave Wu a two-frame advantage. Murphy, 43, fighting for his second world title after a record 21-year gap, responded with a 72 break, but struggled to contain Wu's momentum. Murphy had previously admitted Wu "blasted him off the table" at the Masters in January, albeit in a best-of-11 format.
Wu, who had never won a match at the Crucible before this year, continued to answer every challenge. His superb long potting helped him produce runs of 89 and 66 as he won three of the next four frames. During that stretch, another spectator was removed for a phone alarm that went off as Murphy prepared to play a shot.
Murphy refused to buckle, winning the 16th frame with an outrageous plant to narrow the deficit to 9-7. But in the final frame of the day, with Murphy seemingly in control, Wu sank a trademark long red and compiled a brilliant 91 break to seize a three-frame lead overnight.
"It's harder [trailing overnight] but Shaun has got that kind of game that can win bunches of frames in no time at all," said seven-time champion Stephen Hendry on BBC Two. "Wu has just got to be careful that he doesn't..."
The best-of-35 final resumes Monday at 13:00 BST on BBC Two.