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:
Mark Williams 9-17 Zhao Xintong
Another lovely long pot from Williams as a red is crunched into the right corner and there’s a blue to follow - he’s in again...
Won the last frame in one visit, can he do so once more?
Mark Williams 9-17 Zhao Xintong - WILLIAMS WINS FRAME 26
Remarkably, Williams goes on to clear the table for his first century of the match - a sublime 101.
Mark Williams wins frame 26 to keep the match going at 17-9.
Mark Williams 8-17 Zhao Xintong
Williams gets in and actually looks pretty tidy around the table. The break passes 30, 40 and then gets up to 60. He pots the blue before the final red to move 36 points ahead with 35 remaining.
He’s going to win this opening frame - good on him,
Mark Williams 8-17 Zhao Xintong
Zhao makes 30 and then sees a red to the right corner drift to the far jaw, so the break ends. He’ll wait for another opportunity
Mark Williams 8-17 Zhao Xintong
Zhao strokes in a beautiful long red to the right corner and cuts in a black to follow.
This is a chance for the Chinese cueman. Will he finish the job at the first time of asking
Mark Williams 8-17 Zhao Xintong
Huge ovation for both players as they come out to the arena. This could be a very quick session - or not, you never know...
Zhao Xintong just needs one more frame
It’s only one frame required for Zhao Xintong to become China’s first snooker world champion.
He dominated this afternoon’s session and the job is all but done.
Zhao Xintong 17-8 Mark Williams
Can Mark Williams put up any sort of fight tonight or will Zhao Xintong get the job done quickly? It feel like a forlorn hope for the Welsh Potting Machine
World Snooker Championship prize money
A reminder of what’s on the line...
The winner will receive £500,000 and there is a total prize fund of £2,395,000.
Winner: £500,000
Runner-up: £200,000
Semi-finalists: £100,000
Quarter-finalists: £50,000
Last 16: £30,000
Last 32: £20,000
Last 48: £15,000
Last 80: £10,000
Last 112: £5,000
History in the making
Zhao Xintong is set to become the first-ever Asian player to win the world title, and only the third qualifier to win it since the World Championship moved to its iconic home at the Crucible.
He made 12 centuries in qualifying and has continued to motor through the competition to make a first final, four years on from winning the UK Championship title.
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