US EditionO'Sullivan backs Zhao Xintong
- Zhao Xintong, a 28-year-old Chinese snooker player, defeated seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 in the 2022 World Championship semi-final at The Crucible, Sheffield.
- Zhao's rise follows a 20-month ban for involvement in a betting scandal that implicated multiple Chinese players but did not find him guilty of match-fixing.
- Zhao, an amateur competing after his suspension, overcame strong competition by winning all morning frames in his semi-final and advanced to face 50-year-old Mark Williams in the final starting Sunday.
- Ronnie O'Sullivan praised Zhao as capable of winning the title and becoming a megastar, while seven-time champion Stephen Hendry called Zhao "irresistible" for winning many frames without reply.
- Zhao's potential World Championship victory would mark him as the first Chinese winner, reflecting snooker's growing prominence in China despite recent betting scandals affecting the sport.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Why was Zhao Xintong banned from snooker? Chinese star in match-fixing scandal
ZHAO XINTONG seeks to become the first Chinese cueist to win the World Snooker Championship. The 28-year-old defeated snooker’s unsurpassable Ronnie O’Sullivan in an outstandingly composed semi-final performance, which saw him book his final dust-up with three-time champion Mark Williams. GettyZhao Xintong aims to be the third consecutive first-time winner this evening[/caption] If Zhao Xintong wins the Crucible championship, he will be the only…
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Stephen Hendry reveals his World Snooker Championship final prediction
Stephen Hendry is backing Zhao Xintong to become China’s first-ever world champion (BBC) Stephen Hendry predicts Zhao Xintong will beat Mark Williams to win the World Snooker Championship final. Zhao secured his place in the final – the first player from China to do so since Ding Junhui in 2016 – with an impressive 17-7 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan on Friday night. The 28-year-old will now face Williams – the oldest-ever finalist at the Crucib…
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