Wu Yize said that he was determined to win a ranking title after sealing his maiden success at the weekend in his third final.
The 22 year-old from Lanzhou made his breakthrough into the higher echelons of the game with a 10-6 triumph over John Higgins in the International Championship final.
Six years earlier, Wu had lost to Higgins in the first round of the same event when he was invited to participate as an amateur wildcard.
After turning professional in 2021, it has taken only four years for the talented youngster to climb the rankings ladder and emerge with a coveted spot among the world’s top 16.
The £175,000 champion’s cheque sees Wu rise to 13th on the rolling two-year list, and victory helps him to forget about his previous defeats in ranking event finals at last season’s English and Scottish Opens.
At one point in Nanjing, such a positive outcome appeared to be very a tall order as he trailed Judd Trump 4-0 at the mid-session interval of their round-of-16 clash.
Yet Wu stormed back with six big breaks to stun the world number one and continued his frenzied scoring in the next round to defeat Barry Hawkins with a whitewash display.
World champion Zhao Xintong was then conquered in the semi-finals before Wu compiled four century breaks in the final against Higgins – taking his tournament tally of tons to an incredible 14.
His esteemed opponent likened Wu to a young Paul Hunter, and there’s every reason to suggest that he could make a similar kind of impact on the game going forward.
“It’s totally unexpected,” Wu Yize told the World Snooker Tour in Chinese in the moments after Sunday’s final.
“From the match with Judd Trump, coming back to win from 4-0 down, I recalled the journey throughout the week. It felt really incredible.”
“Because there was a high probability I could have lost that match. Then after that win, I beat several other players who are ranked in the top 16.
“I felt like I did a great job. One thing I did well in the final was start each session strongly. I then maintained the lead throughout the match.
“So it felt a bit less stressful. My overall long pot success rate was quite high, so I think I played a great match.
“Since the Scottish Open final, there were actually many moments when I felt hopeless. I felt I’m capable of winning titles, and I thought about it every day.
“I feel like I have a strong determination to lift up trophies which carried me to this winning moment.
“John has always been the player that I respect the most. He really is, among snooker players, one of the most well-rounded.
“Seeing how he can still play at such a high level at the age of 50, I’m really happy for him. I really cherish playing against him.
“My parents are everything. My dad has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He has helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK.
“I’m so grateful for what he has done for me.”
Moving into the top 16 after the conclusion of the International Championship represents good timing on Wu’s part, as it means he will enter the upcoming UK Championship as one of the seeds.
A decent showing in York could subsequently lead to a first-ever invitation to the prestigious Masters at the Alexandra Palace.
Featured photo credit: WST
