THE World Snooker Championship is heading towards a thrilling climax at the Crucible.
Zhao Xintong is closing in on a spot in the final as he holds a healthy lead over Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Zhao Xintong has been a standout performer at the Crucible this year[/caption]
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE
The Chinese cueist secured a whitewash in the second session of their semi-final, ending with a 12-4 lead and needing just five more frames for victory.
Zhao has been one of the standout players at the Crucible this year, and he is chasing history.
Should he go all the way, the 28-year-old will become the first Asian player and first amateur to lift the iconic World Championship trophy.
What does Zhao Xintong have on his bow tie at World Snooker Championship?
Many fans have spotted that Zhao’s bow tie features an animated character towards the right of the accessory.
Zhao Xintong’s bow tie has caught the eyes of many spectators[/caption]
The character on the bow tie is Chimchar from the popular global franchise Pokémon.
Chimchar is a fire-type starter Pokémon of the Sinnoh region, which evolves into Monferno at level 14 and then Infernape at level 36.
Snooker players are required to wear a bow tie and a waistcoat for the majority of the events in the season, but some stars have called for the dress code to be relaxed.
2010 world champion Neil Robertson said, “Over the last six months I have got really addicted to golf, I have seen all the clothes line and footwear have progressed massively over the years and in snooker we should definitely do that.
“It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear. I can wear a suit, it doesn’t bother me too much, but a lot of other players are really uncomfortable.
“We’re looking at targeting a young generation my son, for example, he is not looking at a snooker player and thinking, ‘I want to wear a waistcoat and bow tie one day’.
“We need to progressing with these things and not staying still. If you stay still you regress.
“For the World Championship and Triple Crown events, keep the bow tie and waistcoat like Wimbledon do with white clothing but other events, we need to modernise massively.”
World Snooker Championship 2025
WE are BACK at the Crucible for another thrilling fortnight of snooker action!
There will be a new champion this year after reigning champ Kyren Wilson crashed out in the first round after a stunning performance from Lei Peifan.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is eyeing a record EIGHTH World Snooker Championship crown, while World No 1 Judd Trump remains the tournament favourite.
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Why did Zhao Xintong get banned from snooker?
Zhao was tipped as one of the next stars to break into snooker’s elite after winning the 2021 UK Championship and 2022 German Masters.
But his career was put on hold in January 2023 after he was banned for 20 months for his role in a match-fixing scandal.
Zhao was one of 10 players involved who were suspended from snooker.
Xintong accepted that he was a party to another player fixing two snooker contests on separate occasions in March 2022.
The former UK Championship champion also bet on matches during a three-year period.
And on top of his 20-month ban, Xintong also had to pay £7,500 in costs.
Zhao will return to the pro tour next season and is competing at the Crucible currently as an amateur.