Sheffield, United Kingdom: Shaun Murphy has warned the rising stars of British snooker to work even harder if they are to compete against the influx of Chinese talent into the sport.
Murphy lost a last-frame decider to China’s Wu Yize in the World Championship final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Monday. The 22-year-old’s dramatic 18-17 victory gave China a second consecutive world champion following compatriot Zhao Xintong’s 2025 triumph in a sport traditionally dominated by players from Britain and Ireland.
But while 2005 world champion Murphy, 43, and fellow British snooker stars such as Ronnie O’Sullivan (50) and John Higgins (51 later this month), remain competitive at relatively advanced ages, doubts have been expressed about their younger compatriots.
Wu, the second-youngest world champion after Stephen Hendry, arrived in the UK as a 16-year-old and shared a bed in a windowless flat in his early days trying to make it as a professional snooker player.
