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Wu Yize is the 2026 World Champion!

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:14:02 +0000

Wu Yize won the 2026 World Championship at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17 in the Final. The final was refereed by Rob Spencer and here are the detailed scores of the Final:

Session 1:
72-50 (51), 60-50 (SM 50), 86-53 (61), 0-95 (85)
0-98 (98), 24-90 (77), 1-118 (109), 74-32 (65)

Session 2:
82-1 (82), 106-16 (103), 32-80 (72), 72-8
89-8 (89), 0-83 (70), 97-29 (66), 1-66, 91-39 (91)

Session 3:
37-103, 9-76 (76), 13-55, 2-120 (59)
37-67 (60), 93-0 (64), 73-1, 121-5 (61)

Session 4:
88-1 (88), 0-82 (82), 26-75, 60-56
70-73 (WY 70, SM 65), 65-0 (56), 1-131 (131)
91-45 (91), 43-75 (75), 85-8 (85)

He also had to work hard in the semi finals … where he defeated Mark Allen by 17-16!
This is a really fantastic achievement, especially considering that Wu was only 21 years old when he lifted the trophy.
Big Congratulations Wu Yize!

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Here is the piece WST shared a week after Wu’s triumph:

Wu Hopes To Inspire New Generation

A week after winning the Halo World Championship, Wu Yize is looking ahead to a bright future and hopes that his hard-working attitude and success can inspire the next generation of players.

China’s 22-year-old Wu became the second youngest ever World Champion when he beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in one of the all-time great Crucible finals on May 4th. On his return to his homeland he was given a hero’s welcome having immediately become a national icon in a country where hundreds of millions of fans watch and play snooker.

Wu’s attacking style and bold shot selection was never more evident than the deciding frame of the final with Murphy, when he potted a do-or-die red to a centre pocket to set up a match-winning break of 85. And the player from Lanzhou in northwest China’s Gansu province has no plans to adapt his approach.

“I will definitely stick with it,” said Wu in an interview with national broadcaster CCTV. “I’m more willing than most players to attack and take risks, and I’m willing to accept the consequences whether I win or lose. I think what I can do is show everyone the best version of myself through my career. Maybe that can inspire people of my generation, or younger kids, to give everything for the work they truly love and pursue it bravely. That’s probably what I want to express. If I can have that kind of influence, then I feel a great sense of achievement. Chinese players are all very hard-working. We are always studying how to improve and become better. Living abroad and dealing with various pressures also pushes us to become stronger and go further.”

Next season, Wu will face the responsibility and added expectation that comes with being World Champion. His compatriot Zhao Xintong handled that challenge admirably, winning four titles in 2025/26 and proving to be a fine ambassador for the sport. Wu has a similar level-headed demeanor and with the support of his family he is confident he can continue to improve.

“Maybe the enormous pressure during the tournament has disappeared, but at the same time a lot of other work and responsibilities have come all at once,” he said. “I think I’ve adapted quite quickly. In fact, my goal has always been to win the World Championship. Perhaps this season I felt I truly had the ability to compete for it, whereas before it was something I could only quietly keep to myself. I’ve never doubted myself, although emotional ups and downs are inevitable. Every player experiences that during an event like the World Championship.

“I kept trying to tell myself to enjoy it and experience that incredible arena, but when you are actually inside that environment, it’s difficult to fully control your emotions. All you can do is try your best and do everything possible to manage those outside factors. Although I won this tournament, there were still many moments where I felt I had small problems. For example, at certain key moments under pressure, I didn’t handle my emotions well enough. Whether leading or trailing, I need to stay calmer and avoid thinking about things outside the match or unrelated to the table.

“Honestly, I feel that ever since I turned professional I’ve been improving every year. It’s been a good feeling, taking things step by step. Every season I’ve had some gains and breakthroughs, and even the defeats have helped me gain valuable experience, which allowed me to get through difficult moments in a tournament like the World Championship. I still want to pursue bigger and higher goals. I believe that after winning the World Championship, the responsibility on my shoulders and the life I face now will require me to work even harder and continue improving myself.”

Looking back on the final against Murphy, Wu was asked about his opponent’s unusual break-off. He replied: “That’s a tactical approach he has studied very well. I think his break-off is especially effective against aggressive players because it can really limit the opponent’s scoring opportunities. The good thing about his break-off is that many times I simply couldn’t find a way to deal with it. The only option was often to take on a very risky attacking shot, maybe a long pot to open things up, but if you miss, you can leave him with a very good chance. When I play, I always like to embrace challenges. If I believe it’s the right situation, I will definitely take risks. Maybe that’s just the kind of player I am. Of course, I’ve paid the price for it many times and lost a lot of matches because of it.”

And asked about his composure and calmness at the end of the final, he added: “Maybe because by that point I had already experienced so many emotions. It was such a long match, and I think both of us were completely exhausted. Perhaps the pressure was finally released at that moment. The feeling went beyond myself somehow. I felt the support of my country behind me, and a kind of spiritual strength coming from China that gave me a sense of mission. I wasn’t only fighting for myself. My parents sacrificed everything. It’s hard to describe in just a few words. It was only the second time my mother had been to the UK, and sometimes she probably felt that we were quite lonely over there. Since I was very young, our whole family has worked hard together and stayed committed to this career. In that moment, I felt I had repaid not only my own efforts, but also theirs.”

The 2026 Welsh Open

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:50:45 +0000

The 2026 Welsh Open took place in Llandudno, Wales, from 23 February till 1st of March 2026. The event was won by Barry Hawkins who beat Jack Lisowski by 9-5 in the final. Except for Ding Junjui, all Grove players were involved in the main event.
Luca Brecel though failed to make any sort of impact as he was whitewashed by Jackson Page in the first round proper. Mark Selby also exited the tournament in that round, beaten 4-3 by Jiang Jun.
Neil Robertson lost to the eventual champion, Barry Hawkins, in the QF round (5-3) ant it was Barry again who eliminated Wu Yize in the SF round (6-4).

Wonderful Wu Yize is the 2025 International Championship Champion

monique — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:04:34 +0000

Wu Yize won his first ranking title in Nanjing as he prevailed at the 2025 International Championship!
Here is the report shared by WST:

China’s Wu Yize blitzed to a 10-6 victory over Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins to capture his maiden ranking title by winning the International Championship in Nanjing.

The supremely talented 22-year-old’s potential has been clear for many years. He became World Under-21 Champion back in 2018, aged just 14. Four years later, in 2022, he was named Rookie of the Year after his debut season on tour.

However, this has been Wu’s coming of age week. Having also beaten the likes of compatriots Zhang Anda and World Champion Zhao Xintong, it was against two of England’s finest where he displayed his blistering best.

From 4-0 down in his last 16 tie with world number one Judd Trump, Wu strung together 12 consecutive frames to win 6-4 and then whitewash Barry Hawkins 6-0. Each of those frames contained a break over 60. The question was could he carry that form into his final with experienced 50-year-old Higgins?

Today’s clash was the fourth biggest ever age gap in a ranking final, the biggest was 30 years between Ding Junhui and Steve Davis in the 2005 UK Championship final.

Wu’s previous two final appearances ended in defeat. He lost 9-7 to Neil Robertson in the 2024 English Open final and a few months later was beaten 9-5 by Lei Peifan in the 2024 Scottish Open final.

This win makes Wu the ninth ranking event winner from mainland China and he pockets a £175,000 top prize. That catapults Wu from 22nd to 13th in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He now qualifies automatically for the UK Championship, at Chris Wakelin’s expense.

It’s a disappointing end to a very strong week for 33-time ranking event winner Higgins. He will have to settle for the £75,000 runner-up cheque in his 59th ranking final. His run included a 9-2 win over close friend Stephen Maguire in the semis and a 6-2 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the quarters.

The afternoon session saw Wu dominate large chunks of the play, but Higgins showed his grit and experience to claim the last two frames leave the match in the balance at 5-4 to Wu.

When play got underway this evening, Wu immediately regained the initiative with a break of 87 to go two ahead.

A dramatic 11th frame proved to be a crucial juncture in the match. Higgins had the frame under control when he missed a tricky brown to the left hand baulk corner. After a brief exchange, Wu took on a double which led to a tremendous clearance of 43 to steal on the black and move 7-4 ahead.

Wu compounded that frame with a maximum attempt in the 12th. His run ended on 80, but it left him needing just two frames for glory at 8-4 as they went in for the mid-session.

After play resumed, the next two frames were traded, as Wu moved to the verge of victory at 9-5. Higgins crafted a defiant 53 to make it 9-6, but this evening was Wu’s moment. He went out with a bang, hammering home 108 to get over the line and become the International Champion.

“Honestly, it feels unbelievable. After beating Judd Trump, I started thinking about the whole journey and it was surreal,” said an elated Wu.

“I think one of the good things was that I started both sessions of the final really well. Having a lead helped me to relax. Everything went pretty much the way I wanted.

“It has been a long wait since reaching the final at the Scottish Open and the English Open last year. At times I honestly felt quite desperate, but deep down I always believed I had the ability to win a title. Every day I kept thinking about it. I had a strong will to lift a trophy. That belief carried me through this week.

“My parents are everything. My dad (Wu Jiepin) has been with me since I was a kid, always by my side. He’s helped me so much, especially during difficult times in the UK. I’m so grateful for what he has done for me.”

Higgins said: “I was nowhere near good enough all day. He was striking the ball beautifully. He was by far the better player. It reminded me so much of playing Paul Hunter. The way he gets through the ball and gets so much action on it. He is a brilliant player.

“There’s no point in getting too down. I’ll get home and have a couple of days off before the Champion of Champions. After that it is the Riyadh tournament and then building up to the UK. I’m disappointed with how I played today.

“I’m delighted his mum and dad are here. It brings back memories for me. It could open the floodgates. It goes to show the good hands snooker is in. I’m glad that I’ll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades. He is a total star.”

All the detailed results are on snooker.org

The 2025 Xi’An Grand Prix

monique — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:20:23 +0000

The 2025 Xi’An Grand Prix was played in Xi’An, China from 7 to 13 of October 2025. Mark Williams won the event, beating Shaun Murphy in the final.

Ding Junhui was the most successful of the Grove players in this event: he reached the QFs, losing by 5-3 to Shaun Murphy, the eventual runner-up. It was also Shaun Murphy who had eliminated Wu Yize by 5-4 in the round of 32. NEil Robertson also lost at the last 32 stage, beaten 5-4 by He Guoqiang. Mark Selby lost in the last 64, going out at the hands of Mark Davis.
Luca Brecel had lost to Sunny Akani in the qualifiers. He had conceded the match after three frames

The 2025 English Open

monique — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:23:17 +0000

The 2025 English Open was played in Brentwood from 11 to 21 September 2025. Neil Robertson was the defending champion. The event was won by Mark Allen who defeated Zhou Yuelong by 9-8 in the final.
Neil’s title defence ended early: he was beaten 4-1 by Jackson Page in the round of 32.
All the detailed results are available on snooker.org
Both Ding Junhui and Wu Yize lost in the round of 16. Ding lost by 4-3 to the eventual champion, Mark Allen, whilst Wu went out by 4-2 to fellow Grove player Mark Selby, Mark reached the semi-finals, where he lost by 6-3 to Zhou Yuelong. Zhou had got the better of Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals (5-4).

The 2025 Wuhan Open

monique — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:50:28 +0000

The 2025 Optics Valley of China Wuhan Open was played in Wuhan China, from August 24 to August 30 2025. The event was won by Xiao Guodong.
Luca Brecel entered the event, but withdrew before it started. Neil Robertson was due to play Reanne Evans in round one but withdrew as well. Wu Yize fell at first hurdle losing by 5-2 to Louis Heathcote.
Ding Junhui lost to Stan Moody in round two.
Mark Selby was the most successful Grove player in this event: he reached the round of 16 where he lost to Mark Williams.
All the detailed results are available on snooker.org

The 2025 World Snooker Championship

monique — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 19:03:59 +0000

All Grove players were involved in the 2025 World Snooker Championship. Kyren Wilson was the defending Champion. The event was won by Zhao Xintong, who beat Mark Williams in the final.
The qualifying rounds were played at the English Institute of Sport, in Sheffield from the 7 to16 Apr 2025. The main event at the Crucible was played from 19 Apr to 5 May 2025, at the Crucible Theatre. All Grove players played at the main venue.

Wu Yize needed to win two qualifying matches to make it to the main venue and duly did. He beat Jian Jun (10-4) and Matthew Stevens (10-9) in the qualifying rounds, but went out to Mark Williams in the last 32, beaten by 10-8. Willo then went on to reach the final, so this was a great effort by Wu.
Ding Junhui and Luca Brecel were seeded 10 and 7 respectively, which means that they were due to face each other in the second round at the Crucible, should they both negotiate the first round successfully … which they did. Luca beat Ding by 13-4 in the second round. Luca then lost by 13-8 to Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.
Both Mark Selby and Neil Robertson lost in the first round at the Crucible, the round of 32. Mark was beaten 10-8 by Ben Woollaston and Neil lost to Chris Wakelin by the same score.

All detailed results are available on snooker.org

Mark Selby is the 2025 Welsh Open Champion

monique — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 19:20:46 +0000

The 2025 Welsh Open was played in Llandudno, North Wales, from 10 to 16 February 2025. Gary Wilson was the defending Champion. Mark Selby won the event, beating Stephen Maguire by 9-6 in the Final.
Here is the report shared by WST:

Selby Wins 24th Ranking Title

Mark Selby won the BetVictor Welsh Open for the second time, and his 24th ranking title in all, with a 9-6 victory over Stephen Maguire in the final in Llandudno.

From 6-6, Selby pulled away to win the last three frames to land the £100,000 top prize and Ray Reardon Trophy. Reardon and Terry Griffiths, two of the best ever Welsh players, have passed away in recent months and both would have appreciated Selby’s capacity to raise his game at the key moments as he dominated the closing stages, after Maguire had made a fine clearance for 6-6.

This is becoming an excellent season for 41-year-old Selby as he won the Unibet British Open in September and the BetVictor Championship League Invitational earlier this month. It’s the first time since 2020/21 he has won three titles in a single season – and there are opportunities for Selby to add to his haul in the coming months, notably in the spring when he will be among the leading contenders for the World Championship crown.

Having contemplated retirement during a few dark moments at the end of last season, when form and confidence deserted him, Selby is a renewed force this term.

His tally of 24 ranking titles brings him level with Neil Robertson on the all-time list, behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36), John Higgins (31), Judd Trump (30), Steve Davis (28) and Mark Williams (26).

…

Maguire was playing in his first ranking final since 2020 but missed out on a sixth ranking title. Still, it’s a step forward for the 43-year-old Scot and the £45,000 prize crucially lifts him to 23rd on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year list with the top 32 qualifying for next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

After sharing the first session 4-4, Maguire had a chance to take the lead in the opening frame tonight, but missed the green off the last red when he led 55-36, and Selby cleared to edge ahead. Maguire’s run of 55 helped him take frame ten, then four-time World Champion Selby responded with a 67 to lead 6-5. The Englishman looked set to double his advantage until he missed a straight-forward red to a top corner on 60 in frame 12, and Maguire punished him with a fabulous 71 clearance which included a series of crafty shots to nudge reds off cushions.

After the interval, once again Selby edged ahead with a break of 60, then went two frames ahead for the first time since 3-1 with a superb 128 total clearance. In frame 15, Selby led 37-0 when he missed the pink to a centre pocket, but Maguire’s counter ended on 8 when he failed to cut a thin black to a top corner. And when he missed a difficult long red, he handed Selby the table to add a match-winning 30.

“At 6-5 I missed an easy red and the clearance Stephen made was ridiculous,” said Selby, who won his first ranking title at this event in 2008. “That could have been a turning point but I managed to get ahead again in the next frame. I had run of the ball at key moments, that can be the difference at this level. It’s great to see Stephen playing well and back in a final because he is a class act.

“It’s a special feeling. I am in a much better place than I was at the end of last season, when I shouldn’t have even played at the World Championship. I am enjoying it more and I feel I can still get better because there are a few parts of my game I can improve on.”

Maguire said: “I want to say thanks to the crowd, it was unreal to have that much support. When I made the clearance for 6-6 I wanted to carry on, the interval came at the wrong time for me. From 6-6 I hardly had a chance so all credit to Mark.”

All the detailed results are available on snooker.org.

Luca Brecel reached the semi-finals wre he was beaten by Mark Selby (6-3).
Neil Robertson and Wu Yize lost in the round of 32 to Tom Ford and Sanderson Lam respectively.

The 2025 German Masters

monique — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 18:49:28 +0000

The 2025 German Masters was played from 27 January to 2 February 2025 at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany. All Grove players qualified for the main event at the venue except Ding who didn’t enter the draw. Judd Trump was the defending Champion. The event was won by Kyren Wilson who beat Barry Hawkins by 10-9 in the Final.
Luca Brecel and Mark Selby lost in the round of 32, to Anthony Mc Gill and Elliot Slessor respectively. Wu Yize and Neil Robertson reached the quarter-finals where they lost to Barry Hwakins and Yuan Sijun respectively.
Neil though had beaten Judd Trump, the defending champion, by 5-2 in the round of 16.
All the detailed results are available on snooker.org.

The 2025 Masters

monique — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 18:30:50 +0000

The 2025 Masters was played in Alexandra Palace, London, from 12 to 19 January 2025. Ronnie O’Sullivan was the defending Champion but he didn’t play in the tournament. The event was won by Shaun Murphy who beat Kyren Wilson in the Final.
Four of the Grove players were involved in the tournament: Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Luca Brecel and Ding Juhui. All four won their opening match, but lost in the quarter-finals.
All the detailed results are available on snoker.org.