Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship on Monday, defeating three-time champion Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The 28-year-old's landmark victory marks a turning point for snooker in China, home to a massive fan base, but it also revives scrutiny over Zhao's past involvement in a match-fixing scandal that led to a 20-month suspension.
"I can't believe what I've done. It's very exciting," Zhao said after clinching the title, draped in a Chinese flag. "It's a very special moment for me, for Chinese snooker, for everyone."
Zhao, who entered the tournament as an amateur due to the terms of his suspension, stormed through four rounds of qualifying beginning April 7 before demolishing seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final. In the final, he took a commanding 11-6 overnight lead against 50-year-old Williams and extended that margin to 17-8 by Monday evening, needing just one more frame to secure the title.
Williams responded with four straight frames, including his first century of the match, but Zhao held firm and won the fifth frame after the interval to clinch the championship. "But what a potter Zhao is," Williams said after the match. "There's a new superstar of the game."
Zhao, nicknamed "the Cyclone," joined Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as the only qualifiers to ever win the title at the Crucible. He earned £500,000 ($664,000) in prize money, while Williams, who overcame blurry vision caused by a pending lens surgery, took home £200,000 ($265,000) and moved to No. 3 in the world rankings.
Despite his triumph, Zhao's past continues to cast a shadow. He was suspended in January 2023 after being found guilty of facilitating match-fixing and placing bets on snooker matches. While he did not fix matches himself, Zhao admitted to being party to another player fixing two matches and cooperating with the investigation, resulting in a reduced sentence from 30 to 20 months.
"Two years ago I made a little mistake and now I come back, so I know how important snooker is for me," Zhao said after qualifying for the UK Championship in late 2024. "These are very big lessons for me, it makes me appreciate snooker more."
That comment, delivered in English-his second language-sparked debate, with some questioning whether he showed sufficient contrition. Since his return, Zhao has largely avoided media inquiries about the ban, focusing instead on performances that included wins on the amateur Q Tour and two recorded maximum 147 breaks.
His victory has sparked mixed reactions across the sport. Some believe his comeback offers a legitimate second chance after serving his punishment, while others argue the timing of his triumph, so soon after his suspension, complicates efforts to celebrate him uncritically.
