Home SNOOKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Murphy Urges British Snooker Stars to Match Chinese ‘Graft’ After Crucible Defeat

Murphy Urges British Snooker Stars to Match Chinese ‘Graft’ After Crucible Defeat

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Shaun Murphy
Wu Yize’s world title sparks Murphy’s call for British Snooker revival

Chinese players won seven of 18 ranking events this season and swept the World Grand Prix semi-finals. With Wu Yize now world No. 4 and 23 Chinese players in the top 100, Murphy says Britain’s youth must step up.


After losing a Crucible final-frame decider to Wu Yize, Shaun Murphy has called on British snooker’s rising stars to improve their work ethic amid China’s growing dominance in the sport...

Shaun Murphy has urged the next generation of British snooker players to step up their work ethic if they want to keep pace with the growing wave of Chinese competitors.






Wu Yize’s dramatic 18-17 win made him China’s second straight world champion after Zhao Xintong’s 2025 victory, marking a clear shift in a sport long dominated by British and Irish players.

 
At 43, 2005 champion Murphy is still competing alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan, 50, and John Higgins, who turns 51 later this month. While the veterans remain in contention, concerns are growing over whether Britain’s younger players can match that longevity and success.


At 22, Wu is now the second-youngest world champion behind Stephen Hendry. He moved to the UK at 16 and, in his early years as a pro, even shared a bed in a cramped, windowless flat while trying to establish himself.


“You hear the stories about Wu Yize coming over here with his family, living in a room without any windows, and I think some British players could take a leaf out of their book and think that if they think they're working hard, they're probably not,” said Murphy.


"But talent does nothing without hard work, and you must give all the players from China absolute credit for the amount of graft and hard work they put in.”




Chinese players claimed seven of the 18 ranking tournaments this season, and the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong back in February marked the first time that all four semi-finalists at a top-tier event came entirely from China.


Wu has now climbed to fourth in the end-of-season rankings, sitting just one spot below Zhao, and the pair are among 23 Chinese players who finished the season ranked inside the world’s top 100.



“You can see with the investment that the Chinese government have made into snooker in the last 10, 15 years, the fruits of it now - Xintong last year, Wu this year - it's great for snooker out in China and it would be great to see that kind of investment here,” said Murphy.


“It's about your time, and Wu Yize's time was this week. I have nothing but admiration for him and his style of play and the way he goes about it.”
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