- The Cyclone holds a healthy 11-6 advantage heading into Monday’s resumption
- Zhao would become the first player from his continent to triumph at the Crucible
- He needs just seven more frames against Mark Williams to make snooker history
Zhao Xintong is on course to be crowned snooker’s first Asian world champion after dominating the first day of the final.
The Cyclone blew away three-time Crucible winner Mark Williams in Sunday’s opening session to take a commanding 7-1 lead. And while Williams fared better in the evening, Zhao still holds a healthy 11-6 advantage going into Monday afternoon’s resumption, needing just another seven frames to make snooker history.
The Chinese star would not just be the first player from his continent to triumph at the Crucible, but the first amateur and only the third qualifier, after Terry Griffiths in 1979 and Shaun Murphy in 2005.
However, if Zhao goes on to lift the trophy, it will not be celebrated like it might have been given his involvement in snooker’s biggest match-fixing scandal. The 28-year-old did not directly throw a match, but he received a 20-month ban for being party to another player fixing and for betting on games himself.
As a result of his suspension, Zhao was dumped off the professional tour, meaning he had to join the amateur Q Tour when he returned to the table last September.
Since then, he has won 46 of his 48 matches and thrashed seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan with a session to spare in the semi-final on Friday.
Zhao Xintong is on course to be crowned snooker’s first Asian world champion
Zhao holds a commanding 11-6 advantage over Mark Williams at the Crucible
Williams was blown away by the Cyclone during the opening session on Sunday in Sheffield
Zhao carried his fantastic form into Sunday’s first session of the final against Williams, who at 50 years old is 22 years his senior – the biggest ever age gap between two world finalists.
He raced into a 3-0 lead, before Williams stopped the rot. Zhao, though, won the final four frames of the session. Having played without fear in the afternoon, the aggressive Zhao appeared more nervous in the evening session, letting Williams back in with some wild long pots.
The Welshman, who is booked to have eye surgery next month having complained before the tournament that his eyesight has ‘completely gone’, reduced the deficit to 7-3 and then 9-5, with breaks of 86 and 72.
Zhao, though, responded with a 96, then stole the next frame with a 71 after Williams missed a frame-ball red.
And though Williams won the final frame of the day, no player has ever overturned an overnight deficit of more than four frames in a Crucible final.
