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 8-16 Zhao Xintong
An incredibly relaxed Zhao plays a delightful shot on a red to far pocket, knocking the white against the jaw to leave it above the black.
He finishes with a one-handed trick shot on the pink to right pocket; it doesn’t pay off, but the frame is secured nevertheless, and the crowd liked that too. Zhao needs two more frames to become world champion.
Mark Williams 8-15 Zhao Xintong
Williams goes for a bit of showboating on the blue to right centre and it clatters off the jaw, but no matter, it’s a break of 66 and he’s still in this match. The evening ticket holders can breathe a sigh of relief.
Mark Williams 7-15 Zhao Xintong
Williams secures the frame, 47 ahead with 43 remaining, and we will indeed be going into the final session tonight.
Mark Williams 7-15 Zhao Xintong
It just has not been Mark Williams’ day. He misses an opening long-range red and leaves the cue ball in prime range for Zhao - but he can’t knock it into the yellow bag!
Shouts of “Come on Mark,” now he sinks a red and the Crucible erupts into applause. The crowd want this to go to the evening session; there’s a risk it won’t.
A long-range blue to the yellow pocket is greeted with similar enthusiasm.
Mark Williams 7-15 Zhao Xintong
Another brilliant fluke by Zhao as he aims the blue to left-centre, and it rattles across to the opposite pocket.
Williams catches a red too thick and leaves Zhao perfectly positioned on a loose red to the top pocket. He moves smoothly through the colours, cleans up the table, and Williams has a real mountain to climb.
Mark Williams 7-14 Zhao Xintong
It’s not the best break-off by Williams and Zhao takes advantage immediately with a sharp long pot on the opening red. It leaves him in an awkward position for the green, though - but he flukes it into right middle, flicking the white on its way! Amazing.
A characteristically assured start by the former UK champion as he works his way through the pack.
Mark Williams 7-14 Zhao Xintong
A healthy slice of luck along the way, but Zhao Xintong’s position gets stronger and stronger - a 3-1 surge to the mid-session interval and Zhao is just four frames away from being crowned world champion.
Mark Williams 7-13 Zhao Xintong
This is far from a simple break to build. The black is out of commission, pincered by a pair of reds, while the pink is up on the green spot. A 51 is therefore excellent compiled with sharp use of the blue...and it gets even better as Zhao rifles in a ludicrously good red down the right-hand side of the table.
50 ahead, 51 remaining with three reds left up. Play safe? Not this chap’s style! Another magic moment as he finds a glorious pot again. Mark Williams needs two snookers...and that’ll be the end of the frame as the black ricochets into the middle. Zhao re-establishes a six-frame advantage.
Mark Williams 7-12 Zhao Xintong
Threaded home! Zhao leaves one of the two remaining reds over the pocket and Mark Willliams finds just the right line to nudge it in without the cue ball following it down the chute. The frame is his.
Mark Williams 6-12 Zhao Xintong
Mark Williams has a long old think about whether to take a thin cut on after Zhao Xintong’s failed escape gives him seven points. In the end, he puts his opponent back in the predicament - and this time, Zhao’s extrication is spot on.
Williams soon has another chance, though - but loses concentration! A brilliant pink helped set him up with a great opportunity to win the frame but a simpler pot of the same colour fails to fall. The Welshman was already walking to his next shot. How costly could that be?
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