Zhao Xintong could become the first amateur player to win the World Snooker Championship on Monday, but his triumph would spark a fresh row in the sport among players and fans
Zhao Xintong is at the centre of a new snooker controversy involving his prize money, ranking points and fellow competitor Ali Carter.
The Chinese sensation could make history as the first amateur to win the World Snooker Championship if he beats Mark Williams on Bank Holiday Monday. Previously suspended for 20 months due to match-fixing allegations, the 2021 UK Championship victor didn’t directly fix a match but accepted that he was involved with another player’s match-fixing and placing bets on matches himself.
After being removed from the professional circuit, Zhao reclaimed his place through the Q Tour, and has since become a familiar face at the Crucible. A loss in the World Championship final would see him rise to world No. 26, while a victory would catapult him into the top 16.
However, there’s discontent among players who are reportedly “aggrieved” and “up in arms” about Zhao’s potential £500,000 World Championship earnings counting towards his ranking while he’s still an amateur, reports the Express.
During the final, BBC presenter Hazel Irvine grilled World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson about the issue, labelling Zhao’s ascent as: “A big story but also a massive scandal in the sport.”
Ferguson responded by saying that the governing body of the sport warmly welcomes Zhao back “with open arms” and insists he deserves to retain those ranking points after securing his tour card via the Q Tour rather than in Sheffield.
He said: “It’s important to talk about and he has served his time and he has paid his fine and actually he has followed a route of trying to work his way back in. I think people will always refer to it but when you’re young you might get pulled into things. But there is a route back and there is a route to return.
“From our point of view, he has done the right thing from day one and is welcomed back into the sport and will be a professional player again at the end of this World Championship.”
With Zhao’s Q Tour spot now open, Irvine added that if he defeats Williams and breaks into the top 16, he would dislodge Carter from participating in select exclusive events.
She explained: “But he does dive into the top 16, which he would if he wins the title, somebody like Ali Carter in 16th place is obviously a little bit aggrieved that this might bump him out of some of the big events. You can see it from his perspective.”
Ferguson replied: “Absolutely you can and there is another player who has worked very hard and had a great career, been out and is back in the top 16. Amazing really to think this scenario could even happen, I think we are all looking at it and thinking, ‘Wow, what is happening here?’
“But it does show how wide snooker is these days, you have the ability to go from zero to hero pretty quickly. We have created a system and broken down all the boundaries, where other sports have layers to their system.”
BBC pundit Ken Doherty also revealed that some snooker players are “up in arms” over the contentious issue, while warning Ferguson about the implications of recent decisions – highlighting that there is discontent among some pros regarding Zhao’s Crucible earnings counting towards his ranking. The 1997 World Champion said: “The big question at this point is about the prize money.
“A lot of players are a bit up in arms about it. The rules might have been changed, if he wins the Championship he keeps the prize money, when it should be going to scratch when he picks up his tour card.”
However, Ferguson clarified: “It is not actually a rule change, it is a scenario that has never happened before. Amateur players do enter events from time to time, as they come in, they play against professionals but they never break into the top 64 because they only come in for one or two events.
“It is the first time we have actually seen this where someone has actually broken all the way through and earned enough points in a season. In that scenario, the case is that the player retains his ranking points because the player is deemed a professional player and joins the professional tour by retaining the top 64 position. So the places from the Q Tour is now a vacant place and the potential to top up there is available.”
Zhao leads Williams 11-6 as the World Snooker Championship final resumes on Monday afternoon.
