Chinese Player, Zhao Xintong, Claims the Title of World Snooker Champion 2025, Marking His Country's First Victory in the Competition.
Let's talk about Zhao Xintong, the young phenom who claimed the Snooker World Championship title in 2025!
In a thrilling final against veteran Mark Williams, the 28-year-old Chinese player secured a 18-12 victory, marking his first-ever World Championship win.
The match started with Zhao pulling ahead, leading 7-1 at one point. Although Mark Williams valiantly tried to catch up, Zhao's dominant play in the third session put him just one frame away from the title. Despite Mark Williams managing to win four frames in a row to close the gap to 17-8, it wasn't enough to overtake Zhao, who clinched the championship with an impressive 87-point break in the 30th frame.
Zhao's journey to the coveted title was far from easy. Having been involved in a match-fixing scandal, he was suspended for 20 months. After the suspension, he began the World Championship as an amateur and needed to go through the entire qualification round. Remarkably, he won 111 frames in total to become the champion.
What's truly impressive is that Zhao defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including Jak Jones, who reached the World Championship final last year, and seven-time World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, making his own comeback even more challenging.
The bookmakers had given odds of 12.00 on Zhao's victory before the tournament started, highlighting that he was considered an underdog. But his skill and determination proved them wrong, making him the youngest World Champion since 2005 (at age 23). Zhao is also the first-ever player from Asia to win the Snooker World Championship and one of only five non-British World Champions.
However, Zhao's triumph has sparked controversy over his future ranking on the World Ranking List due to his amateur status during the competition. The WST has yet to comment on this issue.
Zhao's win has undoubtedly created a stir within the snooker community, with some even comparing him to Luke Littler, the player who elevated the popularity of darts. Many believe that Zhao could become the new superstar of the sport, ushering in a new era for snooker.
Mark Williams, who lost to Zhao in the final, shared this optimistic view in a recent interview: "Zhao's win could be hugely significant for the sport, opening up new possibilities everywhere. We have a new superstar. That's what snooker needs, someone like him who can do it. He'll be a great world champion. He's probably the best potter I've ever seen, I have nothing but admiration for him."
With the new season scheduled to start as early as June, it looks like we're in for an exciting time watching Zhao shake up the professional circuit and potentially redefine the future of snooker. So, grab your cue sticks, folks! It's about to get interesting.
What sport did Zhao Xintong excel in to claim the Snooker World Championship title in 2025, beating Mark Williams in a thrilling final? Could football be the next challenge for the impressive 28-year-old Chinese player, known for his skill and determination on the snooker table?
