Chinese language snooker star Zhao Xintong has opened up on his time spent away from the sport.
Zhao Xintong has mentioned his controversial ban (Picture: Getty) This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks, we are going to obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra
Reigning World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong has opened up on what he did whereas he was suspended for 20 months from the game. Zhao’s journey to turning into a world champion is a storied one. The gifted star was hailed as the sport’s subsequent large factor when he gained the 2021 UK Championship.
Nevertheless, the Chinese language hero, who was ranked World No. 9 on the time, was rocked by a prolonged ban in January 2023 for betting breaches as a part of a match-fixing saga, through which 10 Chinese language potters had been suspended. Throughout Zhao’s look on Stephen Hendry’s Cue Ideas present, which noticed Zhao play a body with the long-lasting Scot, he opened up about how he stored practising throughout his downtime, figuring out in the future he would return to the sport.
“I stored taking part in,” he mentioned. “Each month, each week, and I nonetheless stayed in Sheffield, maintain practising and maintain taking part in with some Chinese language gamers. That was crucial for me. I knew I might come again, so I wanted to maintain that [sharpness].”
Zhao will try and make extra historical past on the 2026 match by smashing the so-called ‘Crucible curse’ that has seen no first-time winner retain the title because the World Championship moved to the Sheffield venue in 1977.
“He’s come by way of the qualifiers and bashed Ronnie up, bashed me up. Bashed everybody up. There’s a brand new celebrity of the sport, and it’s him.” Zhao will start his 2026 marketing campaign and title defence in opposition to qualifier Liam Highfield on Saturday morning at The Crucible.
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