Wu Yize continued his fine form as he beat world champion Zhao Xintong 9-6 to reach the International Championship final in Nanjing.
The 22-year-old, who came into the all-Chinese semi-final on a 12-frame winning streak, lost the first frame but soon settled, opening up a 4-2 lead with a sparkling 140.
The pair went into the break level at 4-4 but Wu took control afterwards as he ruthlessly won the next four frames while notching his 10th century of the tournament.
Zhao rallied to take the match to 6-8 but it was in vain as Wu forced a number of mistakes from his 28-year-old opponent in the 15th frame to claim victory.
“I’m quite excited. I didn’t think I could actually beat him. In fact, as soon as the second session began, I felt a lot of pressure,” said Wu.
“He missed a brown ball I didn’t expect in the ninth frame. I was ready to go to the bathroom and prepare for the next frame. It came as a surprise. It was a turning point.”
Wu will face the winner between John Higgins or Stephen Maguire, who play in the all-Scottish second semi-final on Saturday.
The final takes place on Sunday, with Wu looking to win his first ranking title.
He was a losing finalist twice last season after being beaten by Neil Robertson in the English Open and Lei Peifan at the Scottish Open.
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Source: BBC

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