Wu Yize beats Yuan Sijun to win Shenzhen Open and reach world No 2
Wu Yize beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 to win the Shenzhen Open final at the Bao'an Sports Centre. The all-Chinese decider gave the world champion his first ranking title since his Crucible triumph, according to BBC Sport. It came in the inaugural staging of the event in Shenzhen.
The victory moves Wu to a career-high second in the world rankings. He climbs above Judd Trump and Neil Robertson. Zhao Xintong remains world No 1, which means China holds the top two spots for the first time.
Wu collected £177,000 for the win. Yuan earned £76,000 as runner-up. It was Yuan's first appearance in a ranking final, and his run lifts him seven places to 26th in the world.
Wu arrived in the final in ominous touch. He beat Trump 6-1 in the semi-final, taking six frames in a row after dropping the opener, as reported by World Snooker Tour. A run like that, against a player of Trump's scoring power, takes sharp break-building and tight safety. Wu had both.
His rise has been rapid. The 22-year-old from Lanzhou beat Shaun Murphy to win the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield. He became the second-youngest world champion, behind only Stephen Hendry, who was 21 when he won in 1990, according to the South China Morning Post. He was also the second consecutive Chinese winner of the world title. That win had already carried him to fourth in the world.
Before that breakthrough, Wu had claimed his maiden ranking title at the 2025 International Championship in Nanjing. A ranking title is one that carries world ranking points. He beat Scotland's John Higgins 10-6 in the final, denying the four-time world champion, as documented by World Snooker Tour.
What makes this stand out is the calmness of the climb. Wu now has a home victory, a Crucible crown and a new career high within a year. For fans, this means the top of the game looks different. No roar. Just a held breath, a long walk around the table, and a cue arm trying to stay loose. Wu is handling those moments better than anyone right now.
