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Zhao Xintong Nears Historic World Snooker Championship Victory

Posted : 05 May 2025

Zhao Xintong stands on the verge of making history as the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship, holding a commanding 17-8 lead over Mark Williams in the final. The 28-year-old amateur, who had led 11-6 overnight, extended his dominance by winning three of the first four frames on Monday and building a 14-7 advantage at the mid-session interval.

 

A composed break of 52 soon followed, putting Zhao within reach of wrapping up the match early and potentially claiming the most lopsided final since Stephen Hendry’s 18-5 win over Jimmy White in 1993.

 

Williams, a three-time world champion and the oldest finalist in the tournament's Sheffield era at age 50, temporarily delayed Zhao’s momentum with a 66 break to narrow the gap to 15-8. However, he struggled to maintain that resurgence.

 

Zhao capitalised on missed opportunities, producing a 66 break after Williams failed to pot a red and then punishing another miss to inch within a frame of victory. Zhao's poise and clinical finishing under pressure highlighted his resurgence on snooker’s biggest stage.

 

After winning the UK Championship in 2021, Zhao’s career was derailed by a 20-month suspension due to his involvement in a match-fixing scandal. Now on the cusp of redemption, he could join the elite group of qualifiers who have claimed the world title since the event’s move to Sheffield in 1977. Victory would not only secure him a £500,000 prize but also propel him to 11th in the world rankings as he prepares to rejoin the professional tour.

 

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