Wu Yize emerged victorious against Mark Allen in a dramatic Crucible encounter, capitalizing on Allen’s shocking miss of a match-winning black.
Allen’s Miss Proves Costly
Mark Allen suffered a final-frame defeat at the hands of Wu Yize, missing a simple black off its spot. The miss occurred in the penultimate frame, denying Allen his first World Championship final.
Allen broke down on 45 in the 31st frame. He then missed the black in the 32nd frame.
Reflecting on the loss, Allen admitted, “I had my chances and completely blew it to be honest. When you miss a black like that you don’t deserve to win.” He added, “I wish Wu good luck. I think he’s going to be world champion. Even though I’m devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the final.”
Six-time world champion Steve Davis, working as a studio pundit, said, “You can forgive anyone anything at this stage. I feel for Mark Allen and I know what he is going through. It is a shock. He will be in total shock.”
Kyren Wilson, also a pundit, questioned Allen’s technique on the missed pot, saying, “Look at the bridge Mark Allen has got there. I am really surprised he hasn’t got his hand on the table. I don’t think he can miss that with his hand on the table. Maybe it was just a bit of excitement. Unbelievable.”
Wu’s Path to the Final
Wu, aged 22, appeared to be on the verge of defeat when he trailed 16-14. He then won three consecutive frames with breaks of 67, 52 and 71 to win 17-16.
Wu’s victory means China have a finalist for a second successive year.
- Wu initially lived in a windowless flat after moving to the UK.
- He slept on the same bed as his father.
Wu had previously defeated Peifan Lei, Mark Selby, and Hossein Vafaei to reach the match against Allen.
Following his victory, Wu said, “I feel I am still not recovering from the nerves. I feel sorry for Mark. I felt like I was losing the match, especially the second black in that frame. But I was able to take the opportunity. In the last session I made some mistakes in safety play and then towards the end I was lucky. I want to give my best effort.”
Final Showdown Awaits
Wu will now face England’s Shaun Murphy in the showpiece match, which begins on Sunday at 13:00 BST.
The winner will receive a cheque of £500,000.
Wu has been tipped as a future world champion by both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Murphy.