- Zhao wins 18-12 in dramatic final session in Sheffield
- ‘It’s unbelievable. This is like a dream,’ says Zhao
The Crucible has been home to some of the most significant moments in snooker history. Minds will spring immediately to Dennis Taylor’s dramatic triumph in 1985, or one of Stephen Hendry or Ronnie O’Sullivan’s many victories on the grandest stage this sport has to offer.
But on a mild Monday evening in Sheffield and 20 years on from the door for Chinese snooker being pushed ajar, Zhao Xintong may well have just changed the way the sport is viewed, played and followed for hundreds of millions of people in Asia and across the world.
Written by Aaron Bower at the Crucible
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/may/05/zhao-xintong-beats-mark-williams-to-become-first-chinese-snooker-world-champion under the title “Zhao Xintong beats Mark Williams to become China’s first snooker world champion”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
