Zhao Xintong

Zhao Xintong (born 3 April 1997 in Xi’an) is a Chinese professional snooker player, widely considered one of the most promising upcoming snooker talents.[1]

Zhao Xintong
Paul Hunter Classic 2016
Born (1997-04-03) 3 April 1997
Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Sport country China
NicknameGreyhound, X-Factor
Professional2016–
Highest ranking29 (February 2020)
Current ranking 29 (as of 27 June 2020)
Career winnings£197,287
Highest break143:
2019 China Championship (qualifying)
Century breaks62
Best ranking finishSemi-final (2018 China Championship)
Medal record
Representing  China
Men's Snooker
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
2017 Ashgabat Singles
2017 Ashgabat Team

Career
"This boy was astonishingly good and better than anybody I have ever seen at that age - and that includes Ronnie O'Sullivan!"

— Steve Davis[2]

Zhao Xintong first drew international attention in June 2012 at the Zhangjiagang Open defeating high ranking players Xiao Guodong and Yu Delu to reach the last 16 of the tournament where he narrowly lost 4–3 to Stephen Lee. Zhao would build on this success by reaching the second round of Asian Tour Events the Yixing Open and Zhengzhou Open.

As a wildcard entrant he defeated former World Champion Ken Doherty in the International Championship to reach the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time, again narrowly losing in a final frame decider 6–5 to Matthew Stevens. Having also earned he way to the last 32 of the World Open and China Open, Zhao started gaining the reputation of the Wildcard Menace.[1]

In 2013, at the International Championship, he beat six-time World Champion Steve Davis 6–1 who later commented: "This boy was astonishingly good and better than anybody I have ever seen at that age - and that includes Ronnie O'Sullivan."[2] He went on to reach the third round of the competition before losing 6–2 to Marco Fu, however he would go on to avenge this loss by defeating Fu in the first round of the 2014 Shanghai Masters.[3] Zhao entered the World Amateur Championship in late 2013 reaching the final, however he lost to his fellow countryman Zhou Yuelong 8–4 and thus missed out on a chance to join the world snooker main tour for the 2014–15 season.[4]

2014/2015 season

Zhao entered several events in an attempt to qualify for the 2015/2016 season. He was narrowly defeated in the first round of the ACBS Asian Snooker Championship. Xintong won three games in the first event of Q School before losing 4–3 to Alexander Ursenbacher in the penultimate round. In the second event Zhao got extremely close to qualifying for the main tour managing to reach the final round before losing before losing 4–3 to Duane Jones in a black ball finish in the deciding frame.[5][6]

2015/2016 season

Zhao's high Q School Order of Merit ranking gave him entry as a top up player to many events in the 2015–16 season. He whitewashed Stuart Carrington 6–0 to qualify for the International Championship and, despite losing 6–2 to John Higgins in the first round, his effort of 142 won the high break prize for the event.[7] Zhao made his first appearance at the UK Championship, German Masters and Welsh Open, but was knocked out in the opening round of each.[8] He lost in the final of the 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship 8–6 to Pankaj Advani.[9] It meant that Zhao won a two-year card for the main tour after Advani declined the invitation.[10]

2016/2017 season
2016 Paul Hunter Classic

After whitewashing Wang Yuchen 4–0 at the English Open, Zhao met Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round. Breaks of 130, 107 and 80 saw him lead 3–2, but he missed chances to take the win and was defeated 4–3. O'Sullivan said afterwards that Zhao's attacking style of play had reminded him of Stephen Hendry when he was a similar age.[11] He qualified for the German Masters by beating Li Hang 5–3 and John Higgins 5–1 and a 5–0 thrashing of Akani Songsermsawad saw Zhao reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. He held a narrow 4–3 advantage over Ali Carter, but lost the last two frames.[12] Zhao was also edged out in the third round Gibraltar Open 4–3 by Mark Williams.[13]

2017/2018 season

He dropped off the tour at the end of the 2017/18 season but entered Q School in a bid to win back his place.[14][15] He subsequently won back his place by beating Dechawat Poomjaeng in the second Event final of Q School.[16]

Performance and rankings timeline
Tournament 2012/
13		 2013/
14		 2014/
15		 2015/
16		 2016/
17		 2017/
18		 2018/
19		 2019/
20
Ranking[17][nb 1] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 2] [nb 3] 72 [nb 4] 59
Ranking tournaments
Riga Masters[nb 5] Not Held MR 2R LQ 3R LQ
International Championship 1R 3R 2R 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R
China Championship Tournament Not Held NR LQ SF 3R
English Open Tournament Not Held 2R 2R 2R 4R
World Open[nb 6] 1R WR Not Held LQ LQ 1R 1R
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 1R 2R 1R 1R
UK Championship A A A 1R 2R 2R 1R 3R
Scottish Open MR Not Held 1R 1R 3R 1R
European Masters Tournament Not Held LQ 1R 1R 2R
German Masters A A A 1R 2R LQ LQ QF
World Grand Prix Not Held NR DNQ DNQ DNQ 1R 2R
Welsh Open A A A 1R 1R 1R QF 4R
Shoot-Out Non-Ranking Event 2R 1R 3R 2R
Players Championship[nb 7] DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
Gibraltar Open Not Held MR 3R 3R 1R 3R
Tour Championship Tournament Not Held DNQ DNQ
World Championship A A A LQ LQ LQ 1R A
Non-ranking tournaments
Haining Open Not Held MR A A A 3R
Former ranking tournaments
Wuxi Classic A WR 3R Tournament Not Held
Australian Goldfields Open A A A LQ Not Held
Shanghai Masters WR WR 2R A LQ LQ Non-Rank.
Paul Hunter Classic Minor-Ranking Event 2R 4R A NR
Indian Open NH A A NH 1R 1R 2R NH
China Open 1R 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Macau Masters Tournament Not Held RR NH
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)		 QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi-finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Heldmeans an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
  1. It shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.
  2. He was an amateur.
  3. New players don't have a ranking.
  4. Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points.
  5. The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
  6. The event was called the Haikou World Open (2012/2013–2013/2014)
  7. The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013)

Career finals

Pro-am finals: 1 (1 title)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Hossein Vafaei 4–2

Team finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Outcome No. Year Championship Team Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 2017 CVB Snooker Challenge  China  Great Britain 9–26
Winner 1. 2018 Macau Masters Barry Hawkins
Ryan Day
Zhou Yuelong		 Mark Williams
Joe Perry
Marco Fu
Zhang Anda		 5–1

Amateur finals: 2 (2 runners-up)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1 2013 IBSF World Snooker Championship Zhou Yuelong 4–8
Runner-up 2 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship (2) Pankaj Advani 6–8

References

Citations
  1. "ZHAO XINTONG TARGETS PRO PLACE BY 2015". inside-snooker.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  2. Davis 2015, p. 352.
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/29048967
  4. "Zhou Yuelong Wins IBSF World Championship". prosnookerblog.com. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  5. "World Snooker's Q School ends as eight new professionals get tour cards at Meadowside Leisure Centre". burtonmail.co.uk. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  6. "Zhao Xintong 2014/2015". Snooker.org. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  7. "Bingham Falls to Delu". World Snooker. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  8. "Zhao Xintong 2015/2016". Snooker.org. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. "Pankaj crowned with World Snooker title". IBSF. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  10. "Chinese Duo to Turn Professional". World Snooker. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. "O'Sullivan Survives Zhao Test". World Snooker. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  12. "Carter Wins Zhao Battle". World Snooker. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  13. "Zhao Xintong 2016/2017". Snooker.org. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  14. http://www.worldsnooker.com/zhao-storms-through-in-burton/
  15. http://www.worldsnooker.com/q-school-event-two-final-day-line-up/
  16. http://www.worldsnooker.com/brown-earns-tour-return/
  17. "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.

Sources
  • Davis, Steve (2015). Interesting: My Autobiography. Ebury Press. ISBN 0091958644.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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