Snooker
World Snooker Championship 2026: Murphy Or Yu To Clinch Title?
William Hill tipster Sam Cox previews the 2026 World Snooker Championship final between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize, with the sport’s ultimate prize on the line at The Crucible.
Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize meet in the 2026 snooker World Championship final, starting on Sunday. A pair of epic semi-finals produced this duel between two of the tour’s more attacking players.
Shaun Murphy vs Wu Yize Odds:
- Shaun Murphy – EVS
- Wu Yize – 4/5
Murphy put on a long-range potting clinic to beat John Higgins 17-15 in his semi-final matchup. Wu benefited from a heart-breaking miss on the black from Mark Allen in a marathon contest, which ended in Wu winning 17-16.
Wu won 6-2 when he faced Murphy at the Masters earlier this year. It was only the second meeting between the players following Murphy’s 5-4 win over Wu at the Xi’an Grand Prix in 2025.
Only 22 years of age, Wu has had a breakout year in 2026. He won the International Championship and reached a pair of ranking semi-finals along with a last four appearance at the Masters.
Murphy has had a good season. He won the British Open and was a finalist at the German Masters. This marks his fifth World Championship final – he was world champion 21 years ago but has lost his last three finals.
The bookies can’t split these two players. Both are playing brilliant snooker. Experience favours Murphy, but Wu has made a habit of upsetting the odds of late, including a surprise win over Mark Selby earlier in this event.
With how the semi-finals played out, this projects to be another long match. It’s going to be nip and tuck all the way.
Pick: Over 31.5 frames (4/5)
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
