Mark Williams expected big things from Zhao Xintong from the first time he met him, now 14 years later they meet in the World Snooker Championship final.
The 50-year-old is the oldest player to reach a Crucible final and he will take on a man 22-years his junior for the sport’s greatest prize.
While Williams will be playing in his fifth final in Sheffield it is Zhao’s first, having only won one match at the Crucible before his fine run this time round.
The two first met long before Zhao turned professional and moved to the UK in 2016, playing an exhibition in China when the Cyclone was still just a schoolboy.
The youngster left an impression on the Welshman on that day in 2011, saying: ‘I played him in an exhibition. There’s a picture on my Twitter think somewhere, it was about 500 people in there live. Probably 200 or 300 people million watching live.
‘It was 1-1, and he knocked in 113 or 138 or something to beat me 3-1, the little s**t.
‘But here we are, playing him in the final, which is unbelievable.’
Williams’ oldest son is just seven years younger than his opponent in the Crucible showpiece, which took the veteran back a bit when it was put to him.
‘Yeah, incredible, really. I mean 28 and I got a son who is 21 years old now as well. When you put it like, it is crazy,’ he said.
‘Xintong must feel like he is playing his grandfather in the final I suppose. I’ll be hobbling around there for two days. And he’d just be running around like a whippersnapper. Brilliant.
‘I read the other day, it could be the changing of the guard with him coming through. It probably is. It’d be brilliant if he won the world title for the sport and for China in general, but not just yet.’
He did not fix any games himself, but was aware of corruption and placed bets on matches which saw him suspended from competition when he was ranked in the top 16 in the world.
‘Yeah, it was disappointing,’ said Williams of Zhao’s involvement in the scandal. ‘It was a shock, more than anything. He’s wasted two years or something.
‘But look, I think he said he’s been practicing every day since. I don’t know much of it. I haven’t read much about it. Obviously he regrets whatever he’s done.
‘He’s done his time. It should all be put behind him now. Forget about it. He’s back with a vengeance. So good luck to him.’
Incredibly these two met in the first round of World Championship qualifying in 2017 during a lean spell in Williams’ career and while Zhao was making his way in the game.
The Welshman won that game, not that he remembers it.
‘Did I? Did I win? 10-7? I didn’t even know that,’ he said when asked of that contest. ‘It is mad. I honestly don’t know how I’m still competing with the best players in the world. I don’t know. If you know, tell me.
‘Maybe I’m a little bit better than I give myself credit for.’
The fascinating, must-see contest gets underway at 1pm on Sunday at the Crucible, played over four sessions, coming to a close on Monday night.