Steve Davis criticises Wu Yize in World Championship final
Snooker legend Steve Davis delivered a withering assessment of Wu Yize’s positioning during the World Championship final, labelling a crucial mistake as “unforgivable” at the elite level, reports BritPanorama.
The 22-year-old Chinese player found himself in difficulty against Shaun Murphy, who had seized momentum by claiming five consecutive frames to establish a 12-10 advantage.
Wu managed to reduce the deficit to a single frame before committing the error that drew Davis’s sharp criticism on BBC commentary. “Oh my goodness. He got the line wrong. At this level, that’s unforgivable,” Davis remarked as the youngster was forced into a safety shot after misjudging position on a red.
The troubles did not end there for the Chinese competitor. Shortly after returning to the table, Wu found himself in positional difficulty once more following a pot on the brown. This time, he ended up snookered behind a red, too close to attempt another pot and left with no option but to play defensively. Davis could barely contain his frustration on commentary, exclaiming: “Not again!” The repeated errors threatened to derail Wu’s challenge at a critical juncture in the final.
Despite the catalogue of errors, Wu somehow emerged victorious from the frame to draw level at 12-12. Murphy had been presented with a golden opportunity to capitalise on his opponent’s struggles but surprisingly opted for a safety shot rather than attempting a pot. The decision proved costly as Wu seized his chance, converting a long red to claim the frame against the odds.
The turnaround was remarkable given how precarious Wu’s position had appeared just moments earlier. Having looked destined to fall further behind after his positional mishaps, the young Chinese player instead found a way to restore parity in the contest. Stephen Hendry, another snooker great, expressed sympathy for Wu’s timing, noting: “He’ll be disappointed because he was just starting to get on a roll there.”
Hendry was full of admiration for the youngster’s fighting spirit, declaring: “Wu Yize has shown great character here because I have to say he was gone. Shaun kept winning all those frames, but this has been brilliant.” Ken Doherty, another former world champion, praised the recovery in equally glowing terms: “Wu could’ve lost this session very heavily but now he is back in the match. He was down on the canvas, but got back up and is back in the fight.”
Doherty observed that Murphy’s greater experience as a previous winner could prove decisive in determining the outcome. Wu then captured the afternoon’s final frame to carry a 13-12 advantage into the evening session.
As the tension mounts, one can only ponder how this match will be etched in the annals of snooker history, where defining moments often hinge on such precarious misjudgments and resilient comebacks.
