Zhao Xintong served a 20-month ban from sport after being caught in a match-adjustment scandal
Who is China’s first world champion Zhao Xintong and why did it serve a 20-month ban from sport?
Zhao was crowned the first champion of the world of China after enduring an incentive Return by Mark Williams to complete an 18-12 win at The Crucible.
The 28-year-old won the famous trophy and a check for £ 500,000, also becoming the only third qualifier and the first amateur player to triumph in The Crucible after losing his January 2023 tournament for a scandal for fixing.
Zhao had admitted he was a party to attempt to fix or oppose to arrange two matches involving his compatriot Yan Bingtao, the former winner of the masters.
He was one of the 10 Snooker Chinese players implicated in an investigation into fixing, but received the shortest suspension given by the WPBSA. Zhao was found to be contrary to “being a party to another player who arranges two matches” as well as setting bets in Snooker matches. He also had to pay £ 7,500 at cost for his share in the operation.
Despite the often expressed expression of his involvement, there may be some who believe that his triumph is a stained.
Referring to his 20-month detention that expired in September, Zhao said: “I had been playing in tourist competitions for almost two years and that is why I said my first target was to go through the qualification in the crucible.
“I can’t believe I kept being champion, but now I’m again and I want to continue.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan spoke about Zhao’s ban from sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan said: “Yes, I think it was unfortunate for some of the boys. I think they were not really involved in what I am collecting. So some of them, you just think, was really harsh for them.
Zhao will go home to China to show the trophy this week and enjoy a triumph that has come for a long time, after China’s original Snooker Ding Junhui won the first of his three career titles in the United Kingdom in 2005.
However, Ding came out short in Crucible, and when China’s other great winner, Yan Bingtao, the 2021 Masters Champion, was banned by 2027 for his role in the match adjustment, was afraid that China’s love affair with sports – and its lucrative potential – could have reached a culminating.
Ranking points and pricing money
Jason Ferguson, head of the Global Sports Governing Body, WPBSA, says Zhao deserves to maintain ranking points after securing his tour card again through Tour than in Sheffield.
Ferguson told the match adjustment scandal: “Such things are happening in all sports and is how you manage it. It is a disaster when it happens for the first time, but we have quickly returned to the China market.
“We’ve worked together with the players to make sure the same mistakes don’t happen again. We’re very sure the sport has come through it and I can only see it moving forward.”
Zhao defeated Mark Williams to secure the world title and become the first winner of the tournament from China
BBC Ken Doherty’s Pundit has expressed concern that some players are “upstairs”, saying there is dispute between professionals over the cross profits of Zhao accounting for his ranking.
“The big question at this point is about the price money,” the 1997 World Champion said. “Many players are a bit on the side of this. The rules could have been changed, if he wins the championship, he keeps the price when he has to scratch when he collects his tour card.”
His victory over Williams was ninth of Zhao’s tournament, a record for each champion, and his 47th in 49 games since he went back to his 3-0 entertainment of Lithuanian Vilius Schulte-Ebbert in the unbearable surroundings of an event Q Tour in September in September.
The visible heir
After being included in the UK title in 2021, he was afraid that Zhao’s detention could destroy the career of a player who was chosen by the likes of O’Sullivan and Jimmy White singing him as a future star shortly after he surrendered to his first tournament in 2016, and three times the winner of the afternoon. Bruisiization, describing his opponent as “, for sure, betterting him.” And three times the added winner in the old praise shortly after the afternoon bruising session, describing his opponent as “, like” his best potter, I have ever seen the “best potter”.
“What is a Potter Zhao,” said Walesian Williams. “I am glad I will be very old when he is prevailing the game. I have nothing but admiration for what he has done, coming through the qualifiers. He has not played for two years, I have everyone. There is a new game superstar.”
Williams later added: “He is just as good to see the O’Sullivan he was when he was younger. He just walks around the table and ball balls from wherever he had no care in the world.
“Xintong will be a national hero now. He will be on the front page of every news output and I am sure there are Chinese companies ready to enact with him.
“Gray is good for our sport to have someone at the top who is so attacker and so young.”
The new era of Chinese stars
Called ‘The Cyclone’, the victory of Zhao’s progress in Sheffield is set to create a new bright era of Chinese stars.
He is one of the five Chinese players who have finished the season in the Top 16 world, and one of the 14 currently resides in the first 50 places in the world – everyone, but three of whom are under 30 years old.
Wu yize
Wu Yize has reached two ranking finals this season
The 21-year-old from Lanzhou has hit the top 20 places in the world after reaching two ranking finals this season, losing to Neil Robertson and Lei Peifan in English and Scottish respectively. Wu tall, with a quick pot, pushed Mark Williams near the first round in Sheffield this year, extending the eventual finalist to a 10-8 loss.
Sian
Yuan Sijun joined the tournament as 17-year-old in 2017
Yuan joined the tournament as a 17-year-old in 2017 and it didn’t take long before they made some of the big games in his ears. Yuan quickly withdrew from leaving Covid, and last season won back-back placement frames over Mark Allen and Neil Robertson along the way to the semifinals of German masters.
Gao Yang
Yang Gao is a left -wing striker who boasts numerous new world titles
A left-wing striker who boasts numerous new world titles, the 20-year-old will return to the main tournament next season after winning the WSF world crown in February. Gao served notification of his purpose in this year’s qualifiers, while he threw former finalist Stephen Maguire 10-3 before losing a final framework for Lei Peifan.
Lei Peifan
Lei Peifan triumphed in this season Scotti Open
21-year-old Lei became the lowest ranking player to win a ranking title for over 30 years when he triumphed in the open Scottish of this season after fought the liked of Allen and Shaun Murphy in placing frames. Lei displayed his strong rock temperament at Crucible this year by throwing defensive champion Kyen Wilson through another decision -maker on the day of opening.
He Guoqiang
He Guoqiang captured the prestigious rookie title of the year
The 24-year-old from Hunan has already compiled an impressive scaling list. In his first season on the tour he sank in Kyren Wilson and exploded Mark Williams in German masters to capture the prestigious Rookie of the year. He followed this season with two wins to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Championship League and respectively English Open.
