Crucible Shockwave: Wu Yize Stuns Mark Allen with Commanding Semi-Final Surge
China’s rising star Wu Yize announced himself on one of snooker’s biggest stages with authority, surging into a 6–2 lead over Mark Allen in their World Championship semi-final clash. Playing in his first-ever last-four match at the Crucible, Wu showed remarkable composure early on, setting the tone with confident potting and clever positional play. Although Allen briefly rallied to level the match at 2–2, Wu quickly reasserted control in emphatic fashion.
The young Chinese player came tantalizingly close to a maximum break in the fifth frame, thrilling the crowd before narrowly missing the eighth black. That moment did little to shake his momentum, however, as he followed up with composed contributions, including breaks of 78 and 64, to stretch his advantage to 5–2. Even when Allen threatened a late response, Wu held firm in the final frame of the session, underlining his growing confidence and maturity on snooker’s grandest stage.
Meanwhile, the other semi-final delivered a far more balanced contest, as former champions Shaun Murphy and John Higgins ended their opening exchanges deadlocked at 4–4. Murphy initially looked the sharper of the two, capitalizing on a slow start from Higgins to establish a 3–1 lead by the mid-session interval.
Higgins, however, drawing on decades of experience, responded with determination. The 50-year-old Scot—competing in his 100th Crucible match—gradually found his rhythm after a demanding quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson. His resilience paid off as he clawed his way back into contention, ensuring the match remains finely poised heading into the next sessions.
With both semi-finals still unfolding, the race to 17 frames promises high drama. A place in Sunday’s final awaits, and while Wu looks in command, the battle between Murphy and Higgins could swing either way.
