Chinese player Zhao Xintong becomes first world snooker champion from Asia

Zhao Xintong has become the first Chinese and Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship in the UK after defeating veteran Welshman Mark Williams 18-12 in the final on Monday local time.

Resuming with a 17-8 lead in the third session on Monday, Zhao proceeded to lose the first four frames before finally crossing the finish line in the fifth to secure victory.

Competing against the three-time world champion Williams, the 28-year-old Zhao is the second Chinese snooker player to reach the final of the World Snooker Championship following Chinese snooker pioneer Ding Junhui, who previously lost to Mark Selby in the 2016 final.

During the semifinal match on Friday, Zhao smashed seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7, including a dominant 8-0 whitewash in the second session.

In the other semifinal, Williams and world No.1 Judd Trump fought through 31 frames, with Williams ultimately prevailing 17-14 before reaching the final for the fifth time in his career. At 50 years and 43 days old, the Welshman became the oldest player ever to reach a World Snooker Championship final.

Williams became World Snooker Champion three times - in 2000, 2003, and 2018. This time, he is up against Zhao, who was born in 1997. The 22-year age gap between them marks the largest age gap between finalists in World Snooker Championship history.

The two have faced each other six times, with Williams leading the head-to-head 4-2. However, Zhao won their most recent two encounters.

The World Snooker Championship final follows a best-of-35 format, requiring 18 frames to win across four sessions (8/9/8/10).

On the opening day of the final on Sunday, Zhao overwhelmed Williams with a stunning 7-1 performance.

Williams bounced back in the second session, edging out Zhao 5-4 across nine frames. Zhao held an overall advantage of 11-6 heading into the third session.

If Williams wins the best-of-35 final, he will become the oldest World Snooker Championship winner in history. The current record is held by Ronnie O'Sullivan, who claimed the title in 2022 at the age of 46.

If Zhao emerges victorious, he will become the first Asian player ever to win the World Championship.

Zhao was a "dark horse" at 2025 World Snooker Championship. Starting from the qualifiers, Zhao secured his place in the main draw with three victories.

In the first round, he outplayed 2024's runner-up Jak Jones 10-4. In the second round, he defeated Chinese player Lei Peifan 10-3 and then breezed past Chris Wakelin 13-5 in the quarterfinals.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, Zhao returned to competition in September after ?serving a 20-month ban for breaching betting regulations and earned his spot at the World Championship by winning four qualifiers as an amateur.

The 2025 World Snooker Championship saw a record-breaking 10 Chinese players reach the main draw, with six of them making it to the last 16, the highest number in the tournament's history.