“Really special” will be world No. 1 Wu Yizhi – O’Sullivan

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan believes a “really special” Wu Yizi will become world number one within three years.

Wu won his first ranking title when he defeated four-time world champion John Higgins in the final of the International Championships in November.

Afterward, Higgins described the 22-year-old Chinese player as a “total star” and compared him to three-time Masters champion Paul Hunter, who died in 2006 at the age of 27.

However, O’Sullivan said Wu reminded him of six-time world champion and BBC sports analyst Steve Davis.

“I think Wu Yizi will become world number one, I will give him three years, and he will definitely be world champion very, very soon. [he’s a] “An exceptional player,” said O’Sullivan, speaking ahead of this week’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

“A lot of people liken him to Paul Hunter, but I think he’s more like a modern-day Steve Davis.

“He is more dynamic, more powerful, more aggressive, more powerful in scoring, but his positional play for me is at the level of Steve Davis. [and the ball] He always goes to the middle of the hole.”