Wu Yize storms into Shenzhen Open final

SHENZHEN: Reigning world champion Wu Yize stormed into the Shenzhen Open final after winning six consecutive frames to beat Judd Trump 6-1 in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Wu recovered impressively after losing the opening frame and will rise above Trump to second in the world rankings after Sunday’s final, where he will face fellow Chinese player Yuan Sijun at the Bao’an Sports Centre.

Trump, the world number two and Shanghai Masters champion, had entered the semi-final in confident form after a 5-0 quarter-final victory over Mark Selby.

He opened against Wu with a break of 77 but struggled with a series of errors as the 22-year-old seized control.

Wu produced three breaks of 50 or more in a scrappy contest before sealing victory with a break of 110.

The result also avenged his defeat by Trump in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters earlier this year.

Reflecting on Yuan’s emotional semi-final victory, Wu said he hoped they could produce an entertaining all-Chinese final while targeting the trophy himself.

"When I was preparing for the evening match, I saw that Yuan had shed some tears," Wu said.

"I believe it is his first ranking final. Hopefully, we can put on a great match for everyone. Of course, I hope I can take the trophy home, but we will both give it everything we have."

Yuan secured his maiden ranking final with a dramatic 6-5 win over England’s Jimmy Robertson.

The deciding frame lasted 50 minutes, with 177 points scored, before Yuan finally cleared to the pink after both players exchanged snookers.