Zhao Xintong Wins World Snooker Championship Following Ban

Zhao Xintong won the World Snooker Championship, making a triumphant comeback to the sport following his 20-month-long ban and becoming the first Chinese world snooker champion.

Zhao Xintong Wins World Snooker Championship

Zhao triumphed over three-time champion Mark Williams in the final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The match was mostly one-sided, with Zhao racing ahead to a 17-8 lead in the best-of-35-frames showdown. Though Williams mounted a late comeback, Zhao ultimately sealed the victory with an 18-12 finish.

After the match, Zhao expressed disbelief and excitement over his achievement, saying he was extremely nervous during the final. He acknowledged Mark Williams as a top-tier player who applied immense pressure throughout the match, calling him “the best.” Zhao described the victory as a deeply meaningful moment for both himself and also for Chinese snooker and everyone involved.

Zhao Xintong Comes Back from a Long Ban

Back in early 2023, Zhao was suspended from the World Snooker Tour and demoted to amateur status. Due to this, to even earn a shot at the trophy, he first had to battle through four rounds of qualifying before reaching the main stage at the Crucible. Sixteen out of the 128 hopefuls in the qualifying rounds advanced to the main stage, where they joined the world’s top 16-ranked snooker players.

Zhao’s opponent, Mark Williams, who at age 50 is the oldest player to reach the World Snooker Championship final, praised the young champion. Reflecting on his performance, Williams described the tournament as a brilliant experience and expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming support he received over the two weeks. He pointed out Zhao’s skill and composure, calling him an exceptional potter and declaring, “There’s a new superstar of the game.” Williams added that he felt some relief knowing he’d likely be retired by the time Zhao begins to dominate the sport, and expressed nothing but admiration for Zhao’s journey, from qualifying rounds to the championship, after a two-year absence from competition.

During the match-fixing scandal that Zhao was involved in, two of his fellow Chinese players, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, received lifetime bans from the sport not only for match-fixing but also for coercing younger players into participating in the scheme. Another eight players received five-year bans, but Zhao got only 20 months, as he was found not to have fixed any matches himself. However, he knew of said matches and even bet on them.

He issued an apology for his actions, acknowledged the offenses for which the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association found him guilty. He pledged to return with a “cleaner image,” which he arguably did by winning the world title.