Zhao Xintong Equals Ronnie O'Sullivan's Score in the Semi-final of the World Snooker Championship
Rewritten Article:
It's all knotted up at 4-4 between China's Zhao Xintong and snooker legend Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan after a riveting first session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final battle on Thursday.
Despite O'Sullivan's aura and years of big-stage brilliance, Zhao didn't backsie busy. He snagged a 2-0 lead and then wrapped things up with a solid break of 86, leaving the scoreline balanced after the initial round of their best-of-33 fight.
O'Sullivan mustered a trio of victories in a row, even causing Zhao to go pointless for a full 34 minutes during the Crucible.
Zhao, who's playing as an amateur while returning from a 20-month ban due to a betting scandal, settled swiftly into the fray as he bagged the opening frames with minimal fuss.
O'Sullivan regained control, leading 3-2, but Zhao hit back, leveling the game once again.
Both players saved their top-notch performances for last. O'Sullivan reclaimed the upper hand with a break of 82, but Zhao came roaring back with an 86 break.
Key Points
- Zhao's Early Mastery: Zhao swept the first two frames with impressive breaks of 60 and 62, capitalizing on O’Sullivan's initial errors.
- O’Sullivan’s Turnaround: The seven-time champ stormed back with three consecutive frames, leading 3-2.
- Zhao's Late-Game Prowess: Zhao's 86-break in the final frame—the match's highest break so far—struck a troublesome blow to the right corner pocket, sending balls sprawling.
- Ebbs and Flows: O'Sullivan briefly led 4-3, but Zhao's resilience ensured the game remained even going into the next session.
Tactical Battle
- Zhao’s Strategy: Aggressive break-building and precise pack-splitting during clearances showed Zhao's fearlessness in his first Crucible semi-final.
- O’Sullivan’s Responses: Leaning on experience to counter early deficits, though the occasional unforced error left gaps.
The best-of-33 match resumes on May 3 (from 2:30pm BST), followed by evening sessions. The winner advances to face either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in the final.
This seesaw battle remains a tense standoff, with Zhao's attacking style challenging O'Sullivan's pursuit of a historic eighth title.
- In an impressive display, Zhao Xintong, who is playing as an amateur, registered an early mastery in the World Snooker Championship semi-final by capturing the first two frames with breaks of 60 and 62.
- Despite O'Sullivan's experience and famous hockey-like Focus, he found himself trailing 2-0 in the beginning due to Zhao's aggressive and precise play.
- Aiming to claim his eighth sports title, O'Sullivan displayed an impressive comeback with three consecutive wins, but his lead was short-lived as Zhao equalized with a high break of 86 in a critical moment of their hockey-like match.
