China have longed for a snooker world champion since Ding Junhui broke by way of as a young person in 2005.
Aged 18, Ding defeated the nice Stephen Hendry to win the China Open and it appeared inevitable he would go on to assert the game’s greatest prize.
However glory on the Crucible Theatre has eluded him, though he got here agonisingly shut when he was crushed 18-14 within the 2016 closing by Mark Selby.
The most recent hope now appears to be like to be Zhao Xintong. The 24-year-old’s nerveless show noticed him beat Luca Brecel to win the UK Championship and declare the primary rating title of his profession.
Requested if he can triumph in Sheffield, the place he’s based mostly, Zhao mentioned: “I’ll do this season, perhaps. I’ve gained the UK Championship and now something can occur.”
Beautiful former world champions
Zhao has been a reputation that has circulated in snooker for over a decade.
Three-time world champion Mark Williams mentioned he performed in opposition to Zhao when he was eight or 9 years of age, with the Chinese language teenager making two centuries in a televised exhibition match.
He surprised 1997 world champion Ken Doherty within the wildcard spherical of the 2012 Worldwide Championship and claimed a fair larger scalp in thumping six-time world champion Steve Davis 6-1 the next 12 months.
However it has taken him till now to fulfil his potential by profitable considered one of snooker’s Triple Crown occasions.
Davis mentioned on BBC Two: “If he can use this as a springboard he can actually power his approach into the sport strongly.
“He has received the credentials to be the primary Chinese language world champion. Everybody thought it is perhaps Ding however who’s to say, Zhao is perhaps the one to do it.”
‘Flabbergasted the place he has been’
Earlier within the event, seven-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan mentioned Zhao was “superb” and “our [Roger] Federer”.
Nevertheless, Zhao’s route into the world’s prime 16, secured for the primary time after claiming the trophy in York, hasn’t been easy.
He fell off the tour on the finish of the 2017-18 season however regained his card instantly by rising by way of Q College.
He reached his first rating semi-final on the 2018 China Championship the next season but it surely has taken him till his mid-twenties to win his maiden piece of silverware, a delay that BBC snooker knowledgeable John Parrott discovered laborious to know.
He mentioned: “There are many issues to admire in Zhao – his break-building, the best way he splits the pack, his contact is beautiful, he is pretty to look at and when he wants energy it’s easy.
“I’m nonetheless flabbergasted the place he has been. One thing should have gone incorrect when you’ll be able to play like that. What occurred?”
He has been taking recommendation from snooker legend Jimmy White, who instructed him to “focus” and helped him along with his manner across the desk.
After edging out Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 within the second spherical in York, one other 6-5 victory over veteran John Higgins demonstrated his new-found resilience.
Spectacular wins over Jack Lisowski and Barry Hawkins gave him momentum heading into the ultimate.
‘Brimming with expertise’
Zhao has solely made one look on the World Championship, shedding within the first spherical to Mark Selby in 2019, however now he has made the breakthrough, Parrott expects the left-hander to go from power to power.
“The followers have cherished Zhao all week,” mentioned Parrott. “He has such a stunning method about him. There’s a new child on the town.
“He’s brimming with expertise and now he is discovered the best way to win he’ll be very harmful and horrible to play in opposition to for anybody who attracts him.”
Davis additionally believes Zhao can develop into a crowd favorite not simply due to his easy-on-the-eye enjoying fashion but additionally due to his partaking persona, praising Zhao for his post-match TV interview.
He mentioned: “Any younger gamers trying to play the sport will assume, ‘He can encourage me’. He’s cool, calm and picked up. He has a stunning persona.
“It’s robust standing on the market talking in a overseas language and he did an excellent job of that. I feel he’s going to be a nationwide hero again in China.”
Zhao to have a good time with a little bit of karaoke
Overwhelmed UK finalist Brecel had mentioned after his semi-final victory that Zhao was his favorite participant on tour.
Requested if that was nonetheless the case after his defeat, he instructed BBC Sport: “He nonetheless is, despite the fact that it’s laborious to take now. He’s so superb, he’s solely 24 however appears to be like 12.
“I do not assume I’ve ever seen somebody play so good for therefore lengthy. He simply performed the identical the entire approach by way of.
“Zhao may very well be the identical as Neil Robertson and Judd Trump, hopefully I can too.”
Requested how he’ll have a good time his victory, Zhao mentioned: “Go residence and have sleep. Possibly a little bit of singing in a karaoke tomorrow. I should sing ‘We’re the champions’.”
Queen is perhaps on his lips this week, however the intention is to develop into King of the Crucible come Might.
