China’s Zhao Xintong has made history by reaching the final of the World Snooker Championship after a stunning 17-7 victory over England’s Ronnie O’Sullivan on Friday. The 28-year-old becomes only the second Asian player to reach the final of the prestigious event.
After an evenly matched first session on Thursday, where the players were tied at 4-4, Zhao seized control in the second session. He dominated with an impressive 8-0 run, capitalizing on opportunities as the 49-year-old O’Sullivan struggled to find his form.
Zhao is now just one win away from becoming the first Asian player to claim the World Championship title. His compatriot Ding Junhui reached the final in 2016 but fell short against Mark Selby.
Remarkably, Zhao returned to professional competition only last September after serving a 20-month ban for breaching betting regulations. Entering the tournament as an amateur, he fought through four qualifying rounds to earn his place at the championship.
In the other semifinal, Wales’ Mark Williams mounted a comeback from a 7-3 deficit to level the score at 8-8 against world number one Judd Trump of England. Their thrilling match is set to resume on Saturday.
