China may be on the verge of securing its first world snooker champion as Zhao Xintong holds an impressive 11-6 lead against Mark Williams at the halfway stage of the final being held at the renowned Crucible Theatre on Sunday.
To win snooker’s most prestigious accolade, Zhao needs to secure 18 frames, with the concluding two sessions set for Monday.
Zhao, aged 28, is a swift left-handed player who dominated seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan with a 17-7 victory in the semifinals. He started strong and led 7-1 in the opening session against Williams, a seasoned player at 50 years old, who is striving to become the oldest titleholder in the championship’s history.
During the evening session, Williams managed to narrow the gap, winning five out of the nine frames, including a vital last frame. However, Zhao maintained his strategic upper hand and is poised to become only the third individual to clinch the world championship after coming through the qualification rounds.
Competing as an amateur in Sheffield, England, Zhao recently made a comeback to the competitive snooker scene after serving a 20-month suspension related to a match-fixing scandal. Ranked No. 9 globally at the onset of his suspension, Zhao was penalized for participating in another player’s arrangement of matches as well as placing bets on matches.
In 2021, Zhao claimed victory at the esteemed U.K. Championship and, following the expiration of his ban in September, earned his spot in the main professional snooker tour for the next season as of January.
Previously, the only other Chinese snooker player to reach the world final was Ding Junhui, who was defeated by Mark Selby with a scoreline of 18-14 back in 2016. Ding paved the way for a new generation of Chinese snooker enthusiasts, including Zhao, contributing to the immense popularity of the sport in China.