China’s Xintong Zhao celebrates with the trophy after profitable his last match in opposition to Wales’ Mark Williams within the World Snooker Championship at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, Britain on Could 5, 2025. — Reuters
Zhao Xintong turned the primary Chinese language participant to win the World Snooker Championship with a victory over Welshman and three-times winner Mark Williams on the Crucible Theatre on Monday, the newest chapter in Zhao’s exceptional rise and fall story.
The 28-year-old received by 18 frames to 12 to turn into the primary novice to win the world title, regardless of a spirited comeback try from Williams.
“I can’t believe what I’ve done. It’s very exciting,” mentioned Zhao, draped in a Chinese language flag. “I was so nervous tonight. Mark is still a top player and put me under so much pressure. He’s the best.
“It is a very particular second for me, for Chinese language snooker, for everybody.”
Zhao received a 20-month ban in January 2023 after a match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport, the repercussions of which meant he was classed as an amateur at this event and needed to get through four rounds of qualifying to reach the Crucible — a gruelling run to the title that began on April 7.
The Chinese player, who lives just a 10-minute walk from the Crucible venue, took an 11-6 overnight lead into Monday’s third session.
While Zhao looked completely unflappable and kept smiling throughout the afternoon session, Williams struggled for accuracy and appeared powerless to stop his opponent from taking a seemingly unassailable 17-8 lead, meaning Zhao needed to win just one frame in the evening final to claim the world title.
But a free-wheeling Williams made things interesting by winning the evening’s first four frames with a flurry of excellent shots before the younger player answered in the fifth to secure victory.
The final was already historic no matter the result, as the 50-year-old Williams became the oldest player to reach the final with his semi-final win over world number one Judd Trump.
“It has been a superb event for me,” said Williams, momentarily fighting back tears. “The help I’ve had for the previous two weeks has been unbelievable.
“But what a potter Zhao is. I’m glad I’ll be too old when he’s dominating the game. I’ve got nothing but admiration for what he’s done, coming through the qualifiers. He hasn’t played for two years, bashed everybody up. There’s a new superstar of the game.”
Zhao had swept apart seven-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan within the semi-finals to arrange what was billed because the coronation of a brand new snooker king.
The Chinese language participant, nicknamed “the Cyclone”, raced out to an early 7-1 benefit within the best-of-35-frame contest however Williams staged a mini-revival in Sunday’s second session to maintain alive his hopes of a fourth title.
No participant, nevertheless, had overcome such a big in a single day deficit because the event moved to the Crucible in 1977.
Zhao joined Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as the one qualifiers to seize snooker’s most prestigious trophy.
He banked a cheque for 500,000 kilos ($664,000.00) with Monday’s victory, whereas Williams received 200,000 ($265,000) and climbed to quantity three on the earth rating.
Williams has been combating imaginative and prescient issues and enjoying with out glasses or contact lenses whereas he awaits lens substitute surgical procedure in June.
“I’m still playing quite good stuff, even though my eyesight is a bit blurry,” mentioned Williams.
