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 6-12 Zhao Xintong
A pink to the left corner moves Zhao Xintong 60 clear with just 59 remaining. One more red will make sure that Mark Williams will not return to the table...it’s there.
Contributions of 46 and 30 and the opening frame of the day is his.
Mark Williams 6-11 Zhao Xintong
Up to 30 Zhao accelerates before plucking a plant out of the bundle of reds. He’d have liked another of the bunch to pop free, but there’s one more in the open to come.
In it goes via the rest. Can he burst the balls this time? Ooh, unfortunate, catching the wrong red and running aground on 46. Back up to balk he plays after a solid, but not frame-winning, start.
World Snooker Championship final
Out the players come, Zhao Xintong to the slightly strange strains of Redbone - I’ve heard worse walk-on music, in truth, but didn’t necessarily have the 28-year-old down as a fan. Apparently he became aware of it via the Marvel smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tom Jones croons Mark Williams out. Rather easier to find the Welsh connection there.
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