Chinese star Zhao Xintong celebrated his maiden Snooker World Championship success at the Crucible after beating Mark Williams and many have spoken out on his talents both before and in the aftermath
Zhao Xintong has written himself into snooker history. The 28-year-old became the first Chinese player ever to win the World Championship at the Crucible this week.
The Cyclone secured his maiden title by beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final in Sheffield. And the celebrations were certainly notable.
Zhao’s success comes after what has been a rollercoaster few years for the eventual champion. He only returned to the table last year after serving a 20-month ban for being embroiled in a match-fixing scandal alongside nine of his compatriots.
Naturally, a number of his snooker colleagues have shared their thoughts on his victory, talents and suspension. Take a look at some of the best of them below.
READ MORE: Zhao Xintong has nearly half of £500k World Championship prize money taken from himREAD MORE: BBC snooker pundits comment on Zhao Xintong’s ban as Steve Davis admits ‘it’s a stain’
Ronnie O’Sullivan
It goes without saying that The Rocket is a big fan of Zhao, despite being on the wrong end of a 17-7 thumping against the Chinese star in the world championship semi-finals. Speaking ahead of the final, he said: “I think it would be amazing.
“If he did win, he would be a megastar. He’s still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well. He can definitely get over the line.”
O’Sullivan has regularly been touted as a mentor for Zhao, a role that he is happy to take on. He added: “I know we’ve got a really nice relationship, I’m always trying to help him if I can.
“He wanted the crowd to give me a clap at the end but it was Zhao’s moment, I tried to get off as quickly as I could because it was his moment to enjoy.”
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Mark Williams
Beaten finalist Williams has also spoken out on Zhao’s talents and has even compared him to O’Sullivan. Speaking after his defeat, the Welshman said: “He (Zhao) is as good to watch as O’Sullivan was when he was younger.
“He just strolls around the table and pots balls from anywhere as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. Xintong is going to be a national hero now.
“He’ll be on the front page of every news outlet going and I’m sure there are Chinese companies ready to throw zillions at him. It’s great for our sport to have someone at the top who is so attacking and so young.”
Elliot Slessor
There has also been a kind comment from Elliot Slessor, who Zhao beat in qualifying for the world championship. Taking to social media, he said: “I said it then and will say it again I’ve played them all nobody pots balls like this kid the consistency in the long game and to make tough shots look easy is staggering congratulations to Xintong and @Vics_Snooker incredible stuff.”
Chris Wakelin
And while the majority have chosen to focus on Zhao’s memorable victory, the same cannot quite be said of Chris Wakelin. Beaten by the eventual winner in the quarter-finals, he claimed that Zhao was misguided in getting wrapped up in the match fixing scandal in the first place.
He said: “I don’t know because I’ve not been suspended. I don’t do silly things. I don’t make silly mistakes. We’re all aware of the dangers when we get on tour. You get involved in that sort of thing, you’re gonna get punished for it, you learn a hard lesson.
“He is back on tour now, but he has missed out on two years in his mid-twenties, which should be the golden stage in his career.
“I’ve had no doubt that he’ll go on to have several successes down the line now that he is back. But it was really stupid, the whole situation for all those guys that got involved. But in terms of where Zhao’s going, I think he’s got his better days in front of him now.
“He served his time, you know, the WPBSA dealt with it externally, the whole case was dealt with in a professional way. They did exactly what they should have done.
“He served that sentence, he’s more than welcome to come back and try his best again because he’s a great asset to our sport. He just needs to stay on the right side of things.”
Steve Davis
On the topic of his ban, Steve Davis was more keen on hailing Zhao for his success and not his misstep. He said: “I think we should celebrate [his World Championship win], the fact he plays breath-taking snooker.
“Obviously the blip, it’s a stain on his CV – hopefully lessons have been learnt, by all players [and] not just him. I think most people would agree everyone deserves a second chance. And, boy, hasn’t he taken it.”
John Parrott
Away from the sport’s current stars, former Crucible champion John Parrott has also had his say and he was not afraid to tout Zhao for big things. He said: “We have been talking about it for years and years.
“Ding has been close and a real ambassador for China, but Zhao being in the final means the viewing figures will be off the charts. Just imagine what it will do for the game over there.
“It has been a phenomenal achievement. He is brilliantly talented. There does not look to be any fatigue involved. He is just waltzing around the table. He is almost like a ghost, he floats around the place and looks very similar to Jimmy White in his younger days.”
Barry Hearn
Snooker chief Barry Hearn has also offered his take and has praised Zhao for overcoming his suspension and establishing himself right at the top of global snooker. He said: “He has served a ban for what some people would call a very minor offence.
“He’s a quality player and I think he’s a nice young man. Rules are rules and you take it on the chin. If you make a mistake in life, you don’t look back, you look forward.
“He’s looking forward to being world snooker champion. That’s his dream. When you’ve paid a price for something the slate’s clear, otherwise you have no life forever.”
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