Wu Yize hailed as 'new superstar' of snooker and compared to 'late, great Paul Hunter' by John Higgins after maiden ranking title triumph

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Wu Yize beat John Higgins 10-6 in Nanjing on Sunday to win the International Championship, a first ranking title for the brilliant 22-year-old. Higgins said Wu was a "new superstar" of snooker, while also comparing him to "the late, great Paul Hunter". The next ranking event this season will be the UK Championship in York, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Wu reminds me so much of the late Paul Hunter - Higgins

Video credit: TNT Sports

John Higgins said Wu Yize was snooker's "new superstar" after the 22-year-old stormed to his first ranking event success at the International Championship.

Wu beat Higgins 10-6 in the final in Nanjing on Sunday, after which the 50-year-old Scot compared the victor to a three-times Masters champion.

"Wu reminds me so much of the late, great Paul Hunter, the way he plays the game. He's a new superstar," Higgins said.

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"I'm delighted to have made the final, but I'm disappointed with the way I played today. I was not good enough. Wu was fantastic.

"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."

Wu celebrates 'special moment' after clinching International Championship title

Video credit: TNT Sports

Wu has for some time been thought of as a great prospect, and he came so close to winning his first title last year when he lost finals at both the English Open and Scottish Open. This time, he finished the job, in a final he led throughout.

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

"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 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."

Wu lifts International Championship trophy - 'Going to need a well supported mantelpiece'

Video credit: TNT Sports

Wu rushed into an early 4-1 lead, but Higgins battled back to reduce that advantage to 5-4 at the end of the first session.

When they resumed, Wu was quite brilliant, with breaks of 87 and 80 helping him to extend his lead to 8-4.

Higgins stopped the rot to win the 13th frame, but when they returned after the interval, Wu put another frame on the board to move one away from the title at 9-5.

There were a few signs of nerves in the next frame, when Wu missed an easy red with the rest and Higgins closed to 9-6.

But Wu soon sealed the deal, with a break of 108, to send the fans in Nanjing wild.

The win for Wu also continues the trend of every tournament being won by a different player this season.

Stephen Maguire, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Xiao Guodong, Mark Allen, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, Jack Lisowski and Wu have all been handed trophies since the season started in June.

The Champion of Champions starts on Monday, with the next ranking tournament being the first Triple Crown event of the season, the UK Championship in York.

The main stages begin on November 29, with live coverage on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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