Chinese Snooker Player Zhao Xintong Triumphs at World Snooker Championship 2025, Claiming Title as First Chinese World Champion
Title: Zhao Xintong Smashes the Table: 2025 Snooker World Champion!
Zhao Xintong Sweeps the Victory
The final round of the 2025 Snooker World Championship ended with a bang, as Zhao Xintong, 28, took down Mark Williams, 50, with a resounding 18:12 win. This marked the historic moment when the first Chinese player claimed the Snooker World Championship title!
From the opening shot, it was clear Zhao meant business. At one point, he led 7:1, all but crushing Williams' hopes of a comeback. Despite an impressive fourth-quarter rally by Williams, gaining four consecutive frames when the score was 17:8, it wasn't enough.
Zhao was undeterred and claimed the 30th frame with a powerful break of 87 points, sealing his first-ever Snooker World Championship win. For his efforts, he'll receive a well-deserved prize money of 500,000 GBP, equivalent to approximately 587,260 EUR.
Zhao's Journey to the Top
Zhao's triumphant journey to the championship was far from a walk in the park. In the past, he was banned for 20 months due to involvement in a match-fixing scandal. Upon the lifting of his ban, he began the 2025 Snooker World Championship as an amateur and battled his way through the qualification rounds.
In total, he conquered 111 frames to reach victory. Throughout the competition, he defeated among others Jak Jones, who reached the finals last year, and snooker phenom Ronnie O'Sullivan, who's won the championship seven times. Adding another prestigious trophy to his collection, Zhao also knocked out Williams, another World Champion.
Even before the qualification round, Zhao was name-checked as a promising contender for the 2025 Snooker World Championship. Initially, bookmakers set his odds of victory at 12.00. At just 28, he's now the youngest World Champion since 2005, when Shaun Murphy claimed the title at age 23. As the first Asian Snooker World Champion, he is also part of a select group of only five non-British World Champions [Source].
Zhao's Controversial Future Ranking
Zhao Xintong's triumphant upset has stirred some controversy within the World Snooker Tour (WST) community. Having started the World Championship qualification as an amateur and consequently unranked, questions have been raised regarding how his prize money may impact his future professional ranking.
Typically, prize money earned by amateurs isn't counted towards the world ranking. However, the WST has yet to comment on this matter, and it remains to be seen whether the tournament winnings will boost Zhao to the top 16 and qualify him for numerous upcoming events.
Snooker's New Dawn
Just weeks ago, many wondered whether snooker was facing a crisis, with waning interest and declining attendance [Source]. The sport has been in search of a new face to help raise its profile and shake things up.
Could Zhao Xintong be the savior snooker has been waiting for? His exceptional play in the 2025 Snooker World Championship has left spectators and even fellow players enthralled and speechless [Source]. With this triumph, many are eager to see what this young star has in store for the sport's future.
Mark Williams, Williams' 2025 Snooker World Championship final opponent and WST player himself, shared his belief that Zhao's dramatic victory could have far-reaching implications for snooker. In an interview following the final, he shared his sentiments, stating, "We've got a new superstar. That's what snooker needs, someone like him to come through. He'll be a great world champion. He's probably the best potter I've ever seen, I've got nothing but admiration for him."
With the new season starting as early as June 2026, snooker fans can rest easy knowing they won't have to wait long to witness the remarkable talents of Zhao Xintong unfold.
Note: There has been some speculation about controversy surrounding Zhao Xintong's World Snooker Tour ranking after winning the 2025 Snooker World Championship as an amateur. As of my last update in 2023, it seems there is no definitive information on this matter, as there are various factors that may account for the lack of information, such as Zhao's professional status, the current state of information, and the nature of the World Snooker Championships. If you are looking for real-time updates or responses to specific scenarios, I recommend checking the latest news or official snooker news outlets for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- In just a few years, one might find Zhao Xintong participating in online casinos in Germany, as his substantial prize money from the 2025 Snooker World Championship could potentially be used for such diversions.
- With his newfound fame, Zhao Xintong's name will inevitably surface in our conversations about sports, football in particular, as he becomes a prominent sports figure globally.
- By 2025, it's conceivable that other rising stars in snooker, similar to the young Zhao, will find inspiration in his victory, striving to follow in his footsteps and claiming titles of their own.
- As Zhao Xintong continues to capture the attention of the sports world, it's likely that fans of various sports, such as football or even more obscure pastimes, will discover his exceptional skills on the snooker table and tune in to witness his mastery.
