Snooker’s throwback champion! Wu Yize seen taking a cigarette break during CRUCIAL moment of Crucible triumph – which would see the Chinese star, 22, become the game’s second-youngest winner
The Crucible crowd took Wu Yize under their wing and a photo of the new world snooker champion puffing on a cigarette will further endear him to traditionalists.
In a throwback to quirky legends of years gone by such as Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and Bill Werbeniuk, the 22-year-old was seen fuming at a crucial moment of his final showdown with Shaun Murphy.
Yize scored an incredible final frame victory over the 43-year-old Englishman to win the 50th edition of the World Championship in Sheffield on Monday.
He became the second-youngest champion after Stephen Hendry’s victory in 1990 at the age of 21.
And at 4-4 p.m., when the players took a break, Yize went outside for some fresh air and could be seen next to his interpreter, smoking gold cigarettes behind some gates near the stage door.
Clearly, the brief respite from the stress of the biggest match of his career was enough.
Wu Yize was pictured smoking his gold cigarettes with his interpreter during a break in the World Cup final on Monday afternoon
He returned to the table and just managed to secure the victory 18-17 in the last session.
The professional era of Snooker changed the game significantly, but in the golden era it was not uncommon for players to smoke and drink around the table itself when matches were in progress.
Higgins in particular was a chain smoker and considered the sport’s biggest renegade.
Yize’s popularity has soared in recent weeks, with chants of ‘Wuuuu’ serenading him every time he walked up to the table.
At first he thought they were booing him, he said, explaining after he raised the £500,000: ‘At first I thought people were booing me. Then they told me they were encouraging me. Thank you very much. The love for snooker is mutual.’
He continued, “I’ve been trying to get the shots for ages. For the past month I have been living the same life.
‘I’m so happy that I played well today. My parents are the real champions.
‘Ever since I made the decision to quit school, my father has been by my side. My mother has also been through a lot over the years.
‘They are the source of my strength. I love them so much.’
Yize poses with the trophy next to his parents after reaching an exciting final
A brilliant break of 85 in the 35th frame finally settled a match that could have gone either way, but Murphy was a gentleman in defeat.
He said: “It’s been an excellent few weeks, a great time in Sheffield. Lots of laughs. And boy, we got close. We were very, very close.
“I would like to congratulate Wu Yize and his family and everyone around for being a great world champion.
‘I hate being right. I said at some point earlier in the season that we had a great match in China. I said he will be world champion one day. Really a shame it was today.’