Mark Williams v Zhao Xintong LIVE: Brilliant Zhao makes history as first Chinese world snooker champion
Zhao Xintong 18-12 Mark Williams: Zhao demolished Williams, who was the oldest world finalist at the age of 50, to secure an unbelievable triumph at the Crucible
Zhao Xintong completed a remarkable victory over Mark Williams in their World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible, as he impressively triumphed 18-12 to become China’s first world champion.
The Chinese star had built a healthy 11-6 lead overnight and extended that on Monday afternoon as he punished Williams’s mistakes to win six of the eight frames on offer and head into the final session 17-8 ahead, with 18 the target for victory. Williams gamely fought back to take the first four frames and force a mid-session interval but but Zhao got over the line to make history.
At 50 years of age, Williams was the oldest Crucible finalist in history as he tried to claim a fourth world title, 25 years after his first. Meanwhile, Zhao is 22 years his junior and the 28-year-old was the youngest World Championship finalist since 2011, as well as now first Chinese world champion.
Zhao is somewhat of a controversial figure as he competed at this World Championship as an amateur after recently returning from a ban for being party to match-fixing in snooker but his place in the history books is now secure.
Relive all the action from the second day of the World Snooker Championship final between Mark Williams and Zhao Xintong below:
WATCH: Mark Williams lands remarkable fluke
The luck has turned in this match. Exhibit 1:
Mark Williams 12-17 Zhao Xintong - WILLIAMS WINS FRAME 29
A penny for Zhao Xintong’s thoughts right now...
Williams is playing exhibition stuff. He smashes a remarkable double to the right middle just after reaching the snookers required stage to ensure Zhao stays in his seat. The Chinese cueman has a wry smile on his face.
Mark Williams wins frame 29 and he’s won all four frames before the mid-session interval... He’s still got such a long way to come back but the seeds are being planted
Mark Williams 11-17 Zhao Xintong
Everything is finding the heart of the pocket for Williams at the moment. And every little nudge of the ball is going his way. He looks to have snookered himself on a red and but squeezes past the pink just enough, by a mere millimetre, to pot it to the left corner.
It really does feel like the rub of the green in this match is turning and the crowd are roaring in every Williams pot.
Williams reaches 56 and faces a tricky green to right middle but it’s there. He’s only a couple of pots away from getting over the line.
Mark Williams 11-17 Zhao Xintong
Thin cut on a red with the break on 25 finds the right corner but Williams is left with a slightly dodgy blue to the corner. Good pot - cueball was so close to the object ball but he avoided the push shot.
White isn’t exactly on a string here but Williams is looking more and more confident with every pot. The red wipes it feet on 37 but drops in! He’s still going, here
Mark Williams 11-17 Zhao Xintong
Huge roars from the crowd and a smirk from Williams as an outrageous fluke on a red gets him in among the balls. He misses the pot to right corner, the red flies along the bottom cushion, cannons another red that rattles the jaws of the left corner and stays out but the original red follows it and does go in the left corner pocket. Wild!
The blue is available to follow and Williams sets to work trying to build a substantial lead.
Mark Williams 11-17 Zhao Xintong - WILLIAMS WINS FRAME 28
Williams passes 50 and the winning line in this frame starts to come into sight. A few more pots still needed though.
He plays a little cannon on the cluster of reds when he’s on 52 and pokes home a red despite hampered cueing over another couple.
He then frees a couple more reds and there’s a century within sight for the Welsh Potting Machine. Ultimately falls short as he misses a pot on the stretch when on 96 but it’s a third straight frame.
Mark Williams wins frame 28 and now he’s just 17-11 behind. One more frame before a mid-session interval. Is Zhao Xintong getting just a shade worried...?
Mark Williams 10-17 Zhao Xintong
Zhao in first but a bit unlucky with position and misses a tough, thin cut on a red to left corner on just 6.
That allows Williams in and the black is quickly freed up. This is a decent scoring chance for the Welshman and he calmly starts to build a lead, picking off reds with colours to take his break beyond 30 and counting.
Mark Williams 10-17 Zhao Xintong - WILLIAMS WINS FRAME 27
Gutsy stuff from Williams. He grinds out another frame as a blue to the corner moves him to the snookers required stage.
Zhao doesn’t bother getting out of his seat and it’s a second frame on the spin.
Mark Williams wins frame 27 and closes to 17-10. Two more frames before the mid-session interval.
Mark Williams 9-17 Zhao Xintong
Remarkable shot from Zhao as he connects with two reds simultaneously and sends one into the right corner but rattles the tricky green to follow int he jaws.
That means Williams is back in with a fairly simple red and pots a mid-range blue to the right corner to follow. He cleans up a couple of loose reds to move 49-1 ahead. Chance to seal the frame here with this visit.
Mark Williams 9-17 Zhao Xintong
Williams comes round off three cushions after potting the blue and smashes into the pack of reds. It looks like he’s on nothing initially but with hampered cueing, he can roll in a red to right corner.
Break still going strong as he passes 30 but a little cannon into the pack on 37 leaves him without a pot. Break ends - a solid 37-0 lead.
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