Jump to content

Zhao Xintong

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhao.

Zhao Xintong
Portrait of Zhao Xintong. He is a young Chinese man with short hair, wearing a suit and holding a cue stick.
Zhao at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic
Born (1997-04-03) 3 April 1997 (age 28)
Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China[1]
Sport country China
NicknameThe Cyclone[2]
Professional2016–2023, 2025–
Highest ranking6 (May 2022)
Century breaks158
Tournament wins
Ranking3
World Champion2025
Medal record
Men's Snooker
Representing  China
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ashgabat Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Ashgabat Team
Zhao Xintong
Simplified Chinese赵心童
Traditional Chinese趙心童
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhào Xīntóng
Wade–GilesChao4 Hsin1-t'ung2
IPA[ʈʂâʊ ɕín.tʰʊ̌ŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJiuh Sām Tùhng
JyutpingZiu⁶ Sam¹ Tung⁴
IPA[tsiw˨ sɐm˥ tʰʊŋ˩]

Zhao Xintong (Chinese: 赵心童; born 3 April 1997) is a Chinese professional snooker player who is the reigning World Champion, having won the 2025 World Snooker Championship. He is the only Asian player to win the world title. Zhao attracted attention as a teenager, with a number of top players commenting on his potential in the sport. He joined the professional World Snooker Tour in 2016 and won his first ranking title at the 2021 UK Championship, defeating Luca Brecel 10–5 in the final. With this win, he entered the top 16 in the snooker World rankings for the first time. He won his second ranking title at the 2022 German Masters where he completed a 9‍–‍0 win over Yan Bingtao in the final. He was only the third player, after Steve Davis and Neil Robertson, to win a two-session ranking final without conceding a single frame.

In January 2023, the sport's governing body suspended Zhao as part of a match-fixing investigation involving ten Chinese players. He was subsequently charged with having knowledge of match-fixing and betting operations on the World Snooker Tour, although he was not personally involved in fixing matches. Following an independent disciplinary tribunal, Zhao was banned from professional competition until 1 September 2024. Following the ban, Zhao competed on the secondary Q Tour which serves as a qualification route to the main professional tour. He won four Q Tour events in a row between October 2024 and January 2025, thereby guaranteeing the top spot on the Q Tour Europe rankings list and securing his return to professional competition for the 2025‍–‍26 season.[9] He became the first player to make a maximum break on the Q Tour, achieving the feat twice in Events 3 and 4.[10][4]

Still competing as an amateur, Zhao qualified for the main stage of the 2024 UK Championship, and later in the season for the 2025 World Snooker Championship. After winning four qualifying matches to reach the main stage, he defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 17‍–‍7 in the semi-finals and Mark Williams 18‍–‍12 in the final to win his first world title, his second Triple Crown title, and his third ranking title. His performance at the World Championship meant that he would be upgraded from having no ranking points as a new professional player to being ranked 11th in the world for the 2025‍–‍26 season.

Career

Early life

Zhao was born and raised in Songgang Subdistrict, Bao'an, Shenzhen, Guangdong in 1997.[1] His father, Zhao Xiaowei, transferred from Xi'an to Songgang in 1995,[11] is a finger reconstruction surgeon[11][12] and the Vice President of Songgang People's Hospital as of the 2010s.[13][14][15] His mother Wen Anxiao is a local working as a nurse at the same hospital.[13]

Zhao's early exposure to snooker was shaped by Shenzhen, which is known for having the most established snooker culture in China, as snooker spread across the British Hong Kong-Shenzhen border in the 1980s.[1][16] Zhao began playing at age eight on snooker tables set up outside stores near his house.[17] While children who were not tall enough for the snooker table usually step on a stool, the 8-year-old Zhao made up his height by wearing roller skates when practicing at a snooker training club in Luohu, Shenzhen, partly to look cool.[1] As he could move around the table quickly with roller skates, he developed the habit of quick firing.[13] At 10, his parents put a snooker table in their house.[1]

He graduated from Songgang No.1 Elementary School.[1] He dropped out of Songgang Middle School in 2009 to train full time.[1] It was rare in China for the family's only child to get parental support for quitting middle school. In 2013, he trained at the newly found WPBSA-CBSA Snooker Academy at Changping, Dongguan.[16]

2012–2016: Amateur career

This boy was astonishingly good and better than anybody I have ever seen at that age – and that includes Ronnie O'Sullivan!

Steve Davis[18]

In June 2012 at the Zhangjiagang Open, Zhao defeated high-ranking players Xiao Guodong, Kevin McMahon, and Yu Delu, to reach the last 16 of the tournament where he lost 3‍–‍4 to Stephen Lee. He built on this success by reaching the second round of Asian Tour Events the Yixing Open and Zhengzhou Open.[19][20]

As a wildcard entrant, he defeated former World Champion Ken Doherty in the professional event, the International Championship, to reach the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time. He narrowly lost in a deciding frame 5‍–‍6 to Matthew Stevens. Having also earned his way to the last 32 of the World Open and China Open, Zhao started to gain a reputation for being a "Wildcard Menace".[21]

The following season, at the 2013 International Championship, he beat six-time World Champion Steve Davis 6‍–‍1. Davis later described Zhao as "astonishingly good" and compared him with a young Ronnie O'Sullivan.[22] He reached the third round of the competition before losing 2‍–‍6 to Marco Fu. However, he defeated Fu in the first round of the 2014 Shanghai Masters.[23] Zhao entered the World Amateur Championship in late 2013 and reached the final, however he lost to his fellow countryman Zhou Yuelong 4‍–‍8, missing out on a chance to join the main professional snooker tour for the 2014‍–‍15 season.[24]

Zhao entered several events in an attempt to qualify for the tour for the 2015‍–‍16 season. He was narrowly defeated in the first round of the ACBS Asian Snooker Championship.[25] He won three games in the first event of the 2015 Q School but then lost 3‍–‍4 to Alexander Ursenbacher in the penultimate round. He reached the final round of the second event before losing 3‍–‍4 to Duane Jones in a black ball finish in the deciding frame.[26][27]

Zhao's high ranking in the Q School Order of Merit gave him entry as a top-up player in professional events. He completed a whitewash of Stuart Carrington 6‍–‍0 to qualify for the 2015 International Championship and, despite losing 2‍–‍6 to John Higgins in the first round, his effort of 142 was the high break of the tournament.[28] Zhao made his first appearance at a Triple Crown event at the UK Championship, but lost in the first round. He also qualified for the German Masters and Welsh Open, but was knocked out in the opening round of each.[27] He reached the final of the 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship, but lost 6‍–‍8 to Pankaj Advani.[29] However, Zhao won a two-year card for the main tour after Advani declined the invitation.[30]

2016–2020: Early professional years

Zhao Xintong playing a shot.
Zhao at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic

Zhao met Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round of the 2016 English Open. Breaks of 130, 107 and 80 gave him a 3‍–‍2 lead, but he missed chances to take the win and was defeated 3‍–‍4. O'Sullivan said afterwards that Zhao's attacking style of play had reminded him of seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry at a similar age.[31] Zhao qualified for the 2017 German Masters by beating Li Hang 5‍–‍3 and John Higgins 5‍–‍1, and a 5‍–‍0 whitewash of Sunny Akani saw Zhao reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. He held a narrow 4‍–‍3 advantage over Ali Carter but lost the last two frames.[32] He also reached the third round of the Gibraltar Open before losing 3‍–‍4 to Mark Williams.[27]

Zhao was not ranked high enough at the end of the 2017‍–‍18 season to retain his spot on the World Snooker Tour, so he entered 2018 Q School in a bid to win back his place.[33][34] He defeated Dechawat Poomjaeng in the second event final of Q School to regain his professional status.[35] He reached his first professional ranking semi-finals at the 2018 China Championship, where he lost 4‍–‍6 to Mark Selby.[36] He reached the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open, losing 2‍–‍5 to eventual finalist Stuart Bingham.[37] Zhao qualified for the World Snooker Championship for the first time in 2019 but lost 7‍–‍10 to Selby in the first round.[38]

In the 2019‍–‍20 season, Zhao reached the last 16 stage of four ranking events and the quarter-finals of the 2020 German Masters, elevating his world ranking to 29th by the end of the season. Snooker professionals Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Alan McManus have all suggested that Zhao could potentially become a leading player in world snooker due to his enormous potential.[39]

In December 2020, Zhao reached the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix. After beating Jamie Jones 4‍–‍2 in the first round and John Higgins 4‍–‍3 in the second, he was defeated 3‍–‍5 by Jack Lisowski.[40]

2021–22 season: UK Championship winner

At the 2021 UK Championship, Zhao claimed his first ranking title, as he progressed to the final, where he defeated Luca Brecel 10‍–‍5. The win elevated Zhao into the top 16 of the world rankings, at number 9.[41] This meant he also qualified for the invitational 2022 Masters for the first time.[42][43] At the Masters, he played John Higgins in the first round in a repeat of prior meetings in both the World Grand Prix and the UK Championship, however, he lost 2‍–‍6.[44]

He also reached the final of the 2022 German Masters. He played Yan Bingtao, whom he defeated 9‍–‍0 to claim the second ranking title of his career in the space of just two months. By doing so, he became only the third player in history to whitewash a player in the final of a ranking event after Steve Davis and Neil Robertson.[45] He won his first match in the main stages of the 2022 World Snooker Championship, as he defeated Jamie Clarke, but lost in the second round to Stephen Maguire.[46]

2023–2024: Suspension from professional tour

Just one year after his second ranking event win, Zhao was suspended in January 2023 by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). This was part of a match-fixing investigation involving ten Chinese players.[47] He was subsequently charged with being concerned in fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker. Hearings by an independent disciplinary tribunal were initiated in May 2023, and on 6 June 2023 he was given a 20-month ban until 1 September 2024, but was not docked any results or prize money.[48]

When the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) upheld the original ban length of 30 months, confusion was created within the media covering the sport: at the time, the WPBSA stated that players not in good standing with their local association could not rejoin the World Snooker Tour, thus suggesting that Zhao would have had to wait until at least July 2025 to begin competing in any amateur snooker tournament. The date would also have meant Zhao could not return to the professional tour until at least the start of the 2026‍–‍27 season.[49] However, in interviews to the media in 2024, Jason Ferguson – the current chairman of the WPBSA – confirmed that the extended ban imposed by the CBSA only applied to events that were sanctioned and governed by the Chinese governing body: it did not apply to any events sanctioned and governed by any other association, including the WPBSA. This confirmation meant that Zhao would be eligible to enter the 2024‍–‍25 Q Tour after 1 September 2024, the date that his ban with the WPBSA expired, as well as any other amateur competition that was not sanctioned by the CBSA.[50][51]

2024–25 season: World Championship winner

Picture of Zhao during the World Championship.
Zhao in 2025

After his suspension from the professional tour ended on 1 September 2024, Zhao competed on the amateur Q Tour in the hope of regaining professional status; his first competitive match was at Q Tour Event 2 in Sofia later that month.[52] In October 2024, he won Q Tour Event 3 in Stockholm;[3] in the final frame of his 4‍–‍1 win over Shaun Liu in the round of 64, Zhao became the first player to make a maximum break on the Q Tour.[10] He won Q Tour Event 4 in Manchester on 10 November, defeating Ryan Davies 4‍–‍2 in the final. On his run to the trophy, he made another maximum break in his 4‍–‍1 quarter-final win over Oliver Sykes, as well as three centuries in defeating Craig Steadman 4‍–‍1 in the semi-finals.[4][53]

On 5 November 2024, WPBSA and WST announced that Zhao would be invited to play in the UK Championship (an event he had won in 2021) as a WPBSA qualifier, on account of his win in Event 3 on the Q Tour.[54] He won four qualifying matches to progress to the main stage of the UK Championship but was then eliminated 5‍–‍6 by Shaun Murphy in the first round.[55][56][57]

Zhao won Q Tour Event 5 in Vienna on 15 December 2024, and Q Tour Event 6 in Mons, Belgium, on 12 January 2025, defeating Australian Ryan Thomerson 4‍–‍2 and Iran's Ehsan Heydari Nezhad 4‍–‍1 in the finals, respectively, thereby winning four straight events and 32 consecutive matches on the Q Tour.[5][6] His performance in Event 6 guaranteed his place at the top of the Q Tour Europe rankings list, securing him a new two-year tour card for the 2025‍–‍26 season.[7][8] Topping the Q Tour Europe rankings list also guaranteed Zhao a spot in the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifying draw.[58][6]

He successfully qualified for the World Championship by winning four qualifying matches, only the third amateur-ranked player ever to reach the main stage of the tournament.[59] He defeated Jak Jones 10‍–‍4, Lei Peifan 13‍–‍10 and Chris Wakelin 13‍–‍5 to reach the semi-finals,[60] where he beat seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17‍–‍7 with a session to spare.[61] He then defeated Mark Williams 18‍–‍12 in the final to win his first world title.[62] Zhao became both the first Asian player and the first amateur player to win the World Championship.[63][64] As a result of winning the title, he was awarded 11th place in the world snooker rankings instead of starting the new season without a ranking.[65] After winning the World Championship, Zhao finished the season having played 49 matches since his suspension ended, and winning 47 of them.[66][65]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament 2012/
13 		2013/
14 		2014/
15 		2015/
16 		2016/
17 		2017/
18 		2018/
19 		2019/
20 		2020/
21 		2021/
22 		2022/
23 		2024/
25 		2025/
26
Ranking[67][nb 1] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 3] 72 [nb 4] 59 29 26 6 [nb 5] 11
Ranking tournaments
Championship League Non-Ranking Event 3R RR 3R A
Xi'an Grand Prix Tournament Not Held A
Saudi Arabia Masters Tournament Not Held A
English Open Tournament Not Held 2R 2R 2R 4R 2R 2R 2R A
British Open Tournament Not Held 1R 2R A
Wuhan Open Tournament Not Held A
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 1R 2R 1R 1R 4R LQ LQ A
International Championship 1R 3R 2R 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R Not Held A
UK Championship A A A 1R 2R 2R 1R 3R 2R W 1R 1R
Shoot Out Non-Ranking Event 2R 1R 3R 2R WD 1R WD A
Scottish Open MR Not Held 1R 1R 3R 1R 2R LQ 1R A
German Masters A A A 1R 2R LQ LQ QF LQ W WD[nb 6] A
Welsh Open A A A 1R 1R 1R QF 4R 2R 1R WD A
World Open[nb 7] 1R WR Not Held LQ LQ 1R 1R Not Held A
World Grand Prix Not Held NR DNQ DNQ DNQ 1R 2R QF 1R DNQ DNQ
Players Championship[nb 8] DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 1R DNQ DNQ
Tour Championship Tournament Not Held DNQ DNQ DNQ QF DNQ DNQ
World Championship A A A LQ LQ LQ 1R A LQ 2R A W
Non-ranking tournaments
Shanghai Masters Ranking Not Held A
Champion of Champions NH A A A A A A A A A QF A
World Masters of Snooker Tournament Not Held A
The Masters A A A A A A A A A 1R WD[nb 9] A
Championship League A A A A A A A A WD 2R A A
Former ranking tournaments
Wuxi Classic A WR 3R Tournament Not Held
Australian Goldfields Open A A A LQ Tournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters WR WR 2R A LQ LQ Non-Ranking Not Held NR
Paul Hunter Classic Minor-Ranking Event 2R 4R A NR Tournament Not Held
Indian Open NH A A NH 1R 1R 2R Tournament Not Held
China Open 1R 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ Tournament Not Held
Riga Masters[nb 10] Not Held MR 2R LQ 3R LQ Tournament Not Held
China Championship Tournament Not Held NR LQ SF 3R Tournament Not Held
WST Pro Series Tournament Not Held 2R Not Held
Turkish Masters Tournament Not Held 2R Not Held
Gibraltar Open Not Held MR 3R 3R 1R 3R 3R 2R Not Held
WST Classic Tournament Not Held A NH
European Masters Tournament Not Held LQ 1R 1R 2R 1R LQ 2R NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Macau Masters Tournament Not Held RR Tournament Not Held
Haining Open Not Held MR A A A 3R NH A Not Held
Hong Kong Masters Tournament Not Held A Tournament Not Held WD NH
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) 		QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi-finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Held means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
  1. ^ It shows the ranking at the beginning of the season
  2. ^ a b c d He was an amateur
  3. ^ New players do not have a ranking
  4. ^ Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points
  5. ^ He was an amateur after his ban ended on 1 September 2024
  6. ^ Zhao had initially been entered into the tournament during the qualifying stages played in November, and had progressed to play in the televised stages in Berlin. However, before the main event started, he was suspended by the WPBSA, due to a match-fixing investigation and was subsequently withdrawn from the tournament.
  7. ^ The event was called the Haikou World Open (2012/2013–2013/2014)
  8. ^ The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013)
  9. ^ Zhao had initially been invited to play in the Masters, but was suspended by the WPBSA the week before the tournament started, due to a match-fixing investigation and was subsequently withdrawn from participating.
  10. ^ The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)

Career finals

Ranking finals: 3 (3 titles)

Legend
Legend
World Championship (1–0)
UK Championship (1–0)
Other (1–0)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2021 UK Championship Belgium Luca Brecel 10–5
Winner 2. 2022 German Masters China Yan Bingtao 9–0
Winner 3. 2025 World Snooker Championship Wales Mark Williams 18–12

Pro-am finals: 1 (1 title)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Iran Hossein Vafaei 4–2

Team finals: 2 (1 title)

Outcome No. Year Championship Team Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 2017 CVB Snooker Challenge  China  Great Britain 9–26
Winner 1. 2018 Macau Masters England Barry Hawkins
Wales Ryan Day
China Zhou Yuelong 		Wales Mark Williams
England Joe Perry
Hong Kong Marco Fu
China Zhang Anda 		5–1

Amateur finals: 6 (4 titles)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 2013 IBSF World Snooker Championship China Zhou Yuelong 4–8
Runner-up 2. 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship (2) India Pankaj Advani 6–8
Winner 1. 2024 Q Tour Event 3 England Craig Steadman 4–3
Winner 2. 2024 Q Tour Event 4 England Ryan Davies 4–1
Winner 3. 2024 Q Tour Event 5 Australia Ryan Thomerson 4–2
Winner 4. 2025 Q Tour Event 6 Iran Ehsan Heydari Nezhad 4–1

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 薛永利; 刘嘉雯, eds. (6 May 2025). "13岁训练画面曝光！深圳小伙创造历史" [Training footage at 13 years old]. 深圳发布. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Zhao Xintong". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Zhao Xintong Wins Q Tour Title in Sweden". WPBSA. 6 October 2024. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Zhao Completes Q Tour Double". World Snooker Tour. 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Q Tour Hat-Trick For Zhao Xintong". WPBSA. 15 December 2024. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Zhao Xintong Completes Q Tour Quartet". WPBSA. 13 January 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Zhao Xintong Secures World Snooker Tour Return". WPBSA. 11 January 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025.
  8. ^ a b Clifford, Flo (11 January 2025). "Zhao Xintong secures return to World Snooker tour after 20-month ban". TNT Sports UK. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  9. ^ [3][4][5][6][7][8]
  10. ^ a b "Zhao Xintong Hits Historic Q Tour Maximum in Stockholm". WPBSA. 5 October 2024. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
  11. ^ a b "赵小伟". 京东健康. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  12. ^ 赵小伟; 王威; 韩运; 陈峰; 胡洪涌; 刘国龙 (2006). "皮肤软组织扩张术再造拇指". 中国修复重建外科杂志[Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery]. 20 (9): 906.
  13. ^ a b c 盛媛媛 (7 May 2025). "赵心童母亲回应其休学打球经历：小孩喜欢，我就尊重他". 紫牛新闻. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025.
  14. ^ 松岗人民医院 (22 May 2017). "我院组织到帮扶单位进行免费义诊活动". 宝安区公立医院统一平台. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025.
  15. ^ "2nd World Chinese Quality of Life Conference". WACQOL.org. 2016. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  16. ^ a b 张思琦 (6 May 2025). "赵心童夺冠刷爆多项纪录！广东为何能成为斯诺克名将摇篮？". 南方都市报. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025.
  17. ^ Bell, Tom (6 May 2025). "Who is Zhao Xintong? Made in Xian and Shenzhen, China's world snooker champion". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025.
  18. ^ Davis, Steve (2015). Interesting: My Autobiography. Ebury Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-09195-864-0.
  19. ^ "Asian Players Tour Championship (APTC2) Draw and Format" (PDF). worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  20. ^ "Bingham on Top in Zhengzhou". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  21. ^ Nunns, Hector (27 October 2014). "Zhao Xintong Targets Pro Place by 2015". inside-snooker.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021.
  22. ^ Davis 2015, p. 352.
  23. ^ "Shanghai Masters 2014: Results". BBC Sport. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Zhou Yuelong Wins IBSF World Championship". prosnookerblog.com. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  25. ^ "31st ACBS Asian Snooker Championship-2015 - Knock Out Draws (Last 32)". Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  26. ^ "World Snooker's Q School ends as eight new professionals get tour cards at Meadowside Leisure Centre". Burton Mail. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  27. ^ a b c "Zhao Xintong (all results)". snooker.org. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  28. ^ "Bingham Falls to Delu". World Snooker Tour. 26 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  29. ^ Pathak, Vivek (21 November 2015). "Pankaj crowned with World Snooker title". IBSF. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  30. ^ "Chinese Duo to Turn Professional". World Snooker Tour. 17 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  31. ^ "O'Sullivan Survives Zhao Test". World Snooker Tour. 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  32. ^ "Carter Wins Zhao Battle". World Snooker Tour. 2 February 2017. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  33. ^ "Zhao Storms Through in Burton". World Snooker Tour. 16 May 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020.
  34. ^ "Q School Event Two – Final Day Line up". World Snooker Tour. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020.
  35. ^ "Brown Earns Tour Return". World Snooker Tour. 25 May 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020.
  36. ^ Caulfield, David (29 September 2018). "China Championship Final: Mark Selby vs John Higgins". snookerhq.com. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  37. ^ "Results (Welsh Open 2019)". snooker.org. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  38. ^ "World Snooker Championship: Mark Selby beats Zhao Xintong – best shots" (video). BBC Sport. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  39. ^ "Snooker News – Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry Predict Rapid Rise for Zhao Xintong". TNT Sports UK. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  40. ^ "Matchroom World Grand Prix (2020)". snooker.org. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  41. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (5 December 2021). "UK Snooker Championship final: Zhao Xintong beats Luca Brecel". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  42. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (5 December 2021). "UK Championship 2021: Zhao Xintong, snooker's Roger Federer, backed to land world title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022.
  43. ^ "UK Championship Snooker: The best shots as Zhao Xintong beats Luca Brecel to win title" (video). BBC Sport. 5 December 2021.
  44. ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (10 January 2022). "Masters 2022: John Higgins sweeps past Zhao Xintong to reach quarter-finals & Barry Hawkins beats Shaun Murphy". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  45. ^ Livie, Alex (3 February 2022). "Zhao Xintong wraps up whitewash victory over Yan Bingtao to secure German Masters victory in Berlin". TNT Sports UK. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  46. ^ "'Phenomenal' Zhao Scores First Crucible Win". World Snooker. 17 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  47. ^ "World Snooker Tour match-fixing investigation: China's Zhao Xintong suspended". BBC Sport. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025.
  48. ^ "WPBSA Statement 6 June 2023". WPBSA. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  49. ^ Bell, Tom (22 June 2023). "Snooker match fixing: 5 players given longer bans in China face global exclusion too, WPBSA confirms in blow for Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong". SCMP.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024.
  50. ^ Haigh, Phil (16 August 2024). "Jason Ferguson gives the latest on the Crucible, snooker's Olympic hopes, a Zhao Xintong return and more". Metro. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  51. ^ Caulfield, David (30 August 2024). "Zhao Xintong ban is ending, so what happens next?". snookerhq.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  52. ^ "Zhao set for comeback after match-fixing scandal". BBC Sport. 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  53. ^ "Match Sheet: Semi-final – Craig Steadman vs Xintong Zhao". snookerscores.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
  54. ^ "WPBSA Qualifiers Announced for UK Championship". WPBSA. 5 November 2024. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
  55. ^ "Resurgent Zhao books York return". World Snooker Tour. 21 November 2024. Archived from the original on 28 November 2024.
  56. ^ Kane, Desmond (21 November 2024). "UK Championship 2024: Zhao Xintong relishing Shaun Murphy clash after win over Ricky Walden – 'I can beat anybody'". TNT Sports UK. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  57. ^ "Victorian Plumbing UK Championship 2024". snooker.org. 2 December 2024.
  58. ^ "WPBSA Qualifying Criteria Announced for 2025 World Snooker Championship". WPBSA. 4 January 2025. Archived from the original on 8 April 2025.
  59. ^ "World Snooker Championship 2025: Zhao Xintong qualifies after return from ban for breaching betting regulations". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 22 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  60. ^ "Halo World Championship 2025". snooker.org. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  61. ^ "Ronnie O'Sullivan: Seven-time winner knocked out of World Snooker Championship as Zhao Xintong reaches final". Sky Sports. 2 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  62. ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (5 May 2025) [3 May 2025]. "Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion – fall and rise of Zhao". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025.
  63. ^ "World Snooker Championship final recap: Zhao makes history as first Chinese winner". BBC Sport. 5 May 2025.
  64. ^ Harris, Daniel (5 May 2025). "Zhao Xintong beats Mark Williams 18–12 to become China's first world snooker champion – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025.
  65. ^ a b Sutcliffe, Steve (5 May 2025). "Zhao claims historic victory over Williams in Crucible final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025.
  66. ^ "World Snooker Championship final: Zhao Xintong beats Mark Williams to be crowned first Chinese champion". Sky Sports. 5 May 2025. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025.
  67. ^ "Ranking History". snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zhao_Xintong&oldid=1289408198"