Zhao Xintong has qualified for the World Snooker Championship months after his 20-month ban from the sport came to an end, following an investigation into match-fixing. The 2021 UK Championship winner defeated Elliot Slessor in the final qualifying match to book his place at the Crucible.
He will now compete at the iconic Sheffield venue, having returned to snooker in September of last year after his ban for breaching betting regulations came to an end. Zhao was one of 10 Chinese players suspended from the sport in the summer of 2023, though he received the shortest sentence because he did not fix any matches himself. He was charged with being concerned with fixing matches and betting on games.
The 28-year-old returned to action seven months ago and dominated the Q Tour, quickly securing himself a tour card for next season. He has become just the third-ever amateur to reach the Crucible after James Cahill in 2019 and Michael White in 2022.
And the delighted former world No. 6 will be the man to avoid in Thursday morning’s draw for the World Championship.
“I am very happy,” Zhao told the World Snooker Tour. “I know that it’s very difficult to get back to the Crucible, and I’ve done it again so I’m so proud of myself.”
“Slessor is a really good opponent, and he played really well tonight. He gave huge pressure for me, but I won. I was lucky, and I’m just so happy.
“I just tried my best to play snooker and try every time to have a good break – just enjoy the table time.
“Hopefully, I can really come back to being a top player. But I need more wins, so I just try my best.”
After winning a Q-Tour event in Sweden last year, Zhao described his infraction as a “little mistake” that he was ready to put behind him.
“I am very happy because I have hoped for this day for a long time,” he said at the time. “I knew it would be very hard to get back on to the tour and I needed to play very well because all the players on Q Tour are really good. I went a long time without playing a competitive match and I have really enjoyed being back.
“To play on the tour, I need to be winning and gain some confidence. I will do my best to win this title, I am guaranteed to be on the tour next season now but I still want to do the best I can.
“I want to enjoy the matches but if I play well, I know I can be a champion on the tour. I believe in myself so let’s do it.
“Two years ago I made a little mistake, now I’ve come back. I know how important snooker is to me and now I just want to come back to the snooker table. These two years have been very long for me, I’ve practised every day.”