Zhao Xintong has become China’s first winner of the World Snooker Championship, beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the Crucible final.
The 28-year-old was playing in his first final and, remarkably, as an amateur after he dropped off the professional circuit due to a 20-month ban from the sport.
The Chinese was banned for being concerned in fixing matches and betting on snooker, returning to the baize in September and winning his way through World Championship qualifying to the Crucible, and ultimately to the final.
As Zhao started his campaign in the first round of qualifying, he has won more frames to claim the 2025 title than any other world champion in history, winning 111 of them in nine matches to claim the £500,000 top prize.
Williams had been fantastic throughout the event, beating the likes of John Higgins and Judd Trump on his way to the final, but could not produce the same kind of form in the showpiece, other than a thrilling late flurry.
Zhao was excellent in the final, no doubt, but the Welshman appeared to run out of steam after his efforts in the previous two rounds and admitted that he struggled with conditions.
Posting on social media after the third session, Williams wrote: ‘Oh well, that was tough, I’ve not got enough cue power to combat tough conditions like Zhao. His cue power is superb. Prob the best potter I’ve ever seen.’
The players returned for the fourth and final session on Monday night with Zhao needing just one frame to take the title and Williams, roared into the arena by the Crucible crowd, was seemingly stirred by the emotions of the moment.
He had left himself too much to do though, and despite a stunning burst of four frames as he took the shackles off and went for everything, Zhao still got the job done.
The Welshman hit form spectacularly on those first four frames of Monday night, but after the mid-session interval, Zhao pounced on a mistake and won the match with a break of 87.
Zhao told the BBC: ‘I’m so nervous tonight. Mark Williams still a good player, still a top player, he gave me so much player. He’s the best.’
On his epic campaign he said: ‘I’m not tired. Maybe I’ll have a good drink tonight. Thank you to everybody that has come here. Nice crowd. Thank you everybody.’
The runner-up told the BBC: ‘I think it’s been a brilliant tournament for me. What a potter he is over there! I’m glad I’ll be too old when he’s dominating the game.
‘I’ve got nothing but admiration for what he’s done. Not played for two years, come through the qualifiers, bashed Ronnie up, bashed me up, bashed everybody up.
‘There’s a new superstar of the game and he’s over there.’
The first session on Sunday afternoon ended with Zhao 7-1 ahead as he took to the atmosphere of his first Crucible final impressively.
However, as good as he was, Williams also played a long way from his brilliant best, really struggling throughout the session, winning only the fourth frame and making a solitary half-century.
Sunday evening’s second session went much better for the Welshman as he took five of the nine frames to get himself back into the match.
The scoreline looked a lot more respectable but the three-time champion remained in deep trouble at 11-6 behind and will have remained frustrated at missing opportunities to be closer.
The 16th frame in particular was a great chance for the 50-year-old, making 63 but then missing frame ball red, which allowed Zhao to return to the table and make a brilliant 71 to win it.
Williams desperately needed to find form in Monday afternoon’s third session, but didn’t manage it, still far from the player who had brilliantly beaten John Higgins in the quarter-finals and Judd Trump in the semis.
The first two frames were shared, but then Zhao took the next three, with two half-centuries.
The Welshman grabbed the 23rd with a 66 but continued to fail to build any kind of momentum, with the Cyclone knocking in a 67 in the next to go 16-8 ahead.
Williams had a fantastic chance to take the final frame of the session but missed a red late on, with Zhao stepping in once again to pinch it and go just one from victory.
The fourth and final session could have been extremely short but Williams put on a brilliant show before the interval, winning all four frames in short order.
He had finally found the form he was looking for as he reeled off the quartet of frames, but they proved to be just consolations as mistakes returned and Zhao wrapped up match and tournament in the 30th frame.
Zhao becomes the youngest world champion in 20 years, since Shaun Murphy lifted the trophy in 2005 at the age of 22.