World snooker champion Zhao Xintong succumbs to 'Crucible curse'

Reigning champion Zhao Xintong of China has been knocked out of the World Snooker Championship by Shaun Murphy (Oli SCARFF)

(Oli SCARFF/AFP/AFP)

Defending champion Zhao Xintong fell victim to the "Crucible curse" as he was knocked out of the World Snooker Championship on Wednesday following a 13-10 quarter-final defeat by Shaun Murphy.

Zhao, 29, was the first Chinese player to be crowned world champion when he beat three-time winner Mark Williams 18-12 in last year's final.

But Wednesday's outcome means no first-time world champion has retained the title since the tournament moved to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 1977.

Murphy's victory leaves the Englishman just two wins away from a second world title, 21 years after lifting snooker's most prestigious trophy.

Zhao established an early 3-0 lead only for the 43-year-old Murphy to come back into the best-of-25-frames contest.

"Shaun played really well, he gave me big pressure and played perfect snooker today," Zhao told the BBC. "He deserved to win.

"I felt some pressure (as defending champion) but I still felt alright. I tried to get better, but Shaun is a good player and he played very well so congratulations to him."

The players were all square at 8-8 but Murphy edged ahead Wednesday with a break of 98 before reeling off several more telling contributions, including a match-clinching effort of 69, against a player he labelled the "best on the planet" earlier this week.

"When you're playing great players, which Zhao Xintong unquestionably is, it makes it straightforward for you," Murphy said afterwards.

• Wu Yize 'like a Playstation' -

But there will be Chinese representation in the last four after the 22-year-old Wu Yize beat Iran's Hossein Vafaei 13-8 to set up a semi-final with Mark Allen.

The match was level at 4-4 early on but Wu, who struck 12 breaks of 50 or more, eventually pulled clear of Vafaei to book his first appearance in the semi-finals of the World Championship with some impressive potting.

"The last session I finally found my rhythm which I'm really happy about," said Wu. "It's going to be my first time playing the one-table session so I feel I can do anything now."