World Snooker Championship: Zhao Xintong -From the match -fixing scandal ban to the cremation finale

Zhao Xintong began to suspend Snooker after a match fixing scandal this season, but is instructed as the new “megastar” of sport when he is the first Chinese player to win the World Cup.

The 28-year-old, who only lives 10 minutes on foot from the Crucible event location in Sheffield, is a match away when he was Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as the only qualification for Snooker's largest prize since the tournament of the tournament from 1977 after South Yorkshire.

If he triumphs on Monday, he will be the only amateur who triumphs in the triumph and the youngest winner since Murphy in 2005.

Zhao, who comes from Xi'an in North Central China, moved to Great Britain in 2016 and will appear in the third ranking event.

“Winning the championship is the big dream for the Chinese snooker,” said Zhao, who is facing Judd Trump or the three -time winner of Mark Williams on Sunday.

“It is still very far because I have one last round against one of the top players in the world. Everyone says that no Chinese player has won her before, but I will only try to enjoy it.

“When I was eight to ten years old, it was my first time to play Snooker, and from that moment [to get to this point]. If you want to become a good player, you have to do this [move away from home] Although it is very difficult. “

Previously, he won the British championship in 2021 and the German Masters in 2022, but his burgeoning career was abruptly stopped when he sanctioned one of 10 players from China after an examination of the game fixation in 2023.

Zhao did not throw a game directly, but he accepted the indictment of being a party to another player who repaired two games and bet on games himself, and he was banned for the crimes.

He returned to the amateur q tour in September and won events in Manchester, Sweden, Austria and Belgium, while he also qualified for the British championship and lost in the first round against Shaun Murphy.

At the World Cup, ZHAO had to progress through four qualification rounds and then come by crucible finalist Jak Jones, Lei Peifan and Chris Wakelin in 2024 to reach the semi -finals.

Zhao, who, with the nickname “The Cyclone” with the seven -time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan with the nickname “The Cyclone” with a session in the past four years, lacks his 46 victory in 48 games since his return from his ban.

As a result of his suspension, Zhao lost his place in the world snooker tour and his professional status, although he secured his card to return to the elite tour next season.