Wu Yize moved within five frames of becoming the second youngest world snooker champion in history after withstanding a strong Shaun Murphy fightback in the third session of an absorbing Crucible final.

The 22-year-old from Lanzhou looked down and out after losing the first five frames of the day as the experienced Murphy roared back from a 10-7 overnight deficit to surge into a 12-10 lead.

But Wu, who had looked a pale imitation of the ferocious potting machine who had blazed into his first world final with scintillating wins over Mark Selby and Mark Allen , hit back to win the final three frames of the session and regain a slender 13-12 advantage.

The magnitude of the occasion had appeared to weigh heavy on Wu, who missed far too many easy balls in the opening stages.…