Zhao Xintong attributes surge in form to mental toughness after Players Championship win
Snooker star beats John Higgins to join Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson as the fourth player to win first five ranking finals
Chinese snooker star Zhao Xintong said he was not “thinking too much” about the prospect of retaining his world title in April after winning the Players Championship in England on Sunday.
In-form Zhao beat the evergreen John Higgins 10-7 at Telford International Centre to capture his fifth career ranking title.
Aiming to become the first player to secure a clean sweep of all three Players series tournaments in a single season, a feat he can accomplish at next month’s Tour Championship in Manchester, Zhao said he was “over the moon” with his latest win after dealing with jet lag during the opening rounds last week.
“I didn’t expect to adjust my form so quickly after Hong Kong. I didn’t expect that my mindset would settle down so well afterwards,” the 28-year-old said. “That gave me a lot of confidence in the later matches. I felt I could [win] them [though my opponents were very strong].
“To hear players like Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan speak so highly of me – there’s really nothing that makes me happier. Of course, I’ll keep working hard. There are still many tournaments ahead and I’ll try my best to win more titles.”