Zhao Xintong has secured a two-year World Snooker Tour card after finishing top of the WPBSA Q Tour Europe ranking list.
The Chinese potter, who was suspended for 20 months for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport, returned to snooker this year in Q Tour with ambitions of returning to the professional game.
Zhao, 27, did not directly throw a match but accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself. In total, 10 players were banned in the corruption scandal, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were given lifetime suspensions.
His lead gradually built up and early exits for Dylan Emery and Ryan Thomerson in Mons, Belgium, ensured that Zhao cannot be caught and will finish top of the Europe ranking list, earning him a spot on the World Snooker Tour.
“I am very happy because I have hoped for this day for a long time,” Zhao said. “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 just want to enjoy the matches but if I play well, I know I can be a champion again on the tour. I believe in myself so lets do it.”
After wins in Stockholm, Manchester and Vienna, Zhao was able to compete in the UK Championship qualifiers last year.
As a winner of the event in 2021, Zhao came through qualifying and played in his first professional match since his suspension, suffering a tight 6-5 defeat by Shaun Murphy.
And shortly before that match, he described his indiscretions as “a little mistake” and vowed to return to the professional game, which he will do in July after the World Championship.
“Two years ago I made a little mistake, now I’ve come back,” he told the BBC. “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. I knew I would come back so I need to keep confident in myself. I believe that if I play well then I can beat anybody. I’m just going to try my best.”
