World Snooker Championship: Zhao Xintong, Ding Junhui clash set to break TV viewing records

Less than half of the record-breaking 11-strong Chinese contingent at the World Snooker Championship main draw have survived the opening round, and two of those left standing are poised for a blockbuster clash in front of a whopping global audience on Friday. The second-round match-up between reigning champion Zhao Xintong and trailblazer Ding Junhui is set to be a clash of the generations, one that could draw the biggest television audience in snooker history. The best-of-25-frames contest will head into Saturday afternoon local time in Sheffield at the very least, with a potential third session on Sunday morning. “It’s just one of those matches where we both want to play at an extremely high level,” Ding, China’s first ranking event winner, said. “He’s eager to defend his title. We will see how it goes. “It’s going to be an incredible match against Zhao Xintong. He plays exceptionally well and has won his three ranking events recently. He’s confident and consistent; everyone loves watching him play, and so do I.” Zhao, the country’s first world champion, admitted that he did not want to face his idol. “I know he has the ability to win any event even at this stage,” said the 29-year-old, who took up snooker after watching Ding win his first ranking event in Beijing in 2005. “Even if his recent form hasn’t been that good, he’s still an impressive and top player just by playing to his ability. “Of course, there are no easy opponents at the World Championship, so I have to play with 100 per cent confidence and be in the best possible condition, whoever I play against. I’ll do my best.” Last May, more than 24.5 million viewers in China alone watched the third session of the final, when Zhao extended his five-frame lead over Mark Williams to 17-8, before beating the Welsh legend 18-12 to put his hands on the coveted trophy. The whole tournament had a cumulative audience of 180 million on China’s state broadcaster CCTV5. “It’s a big clash and it could surpass all records; it could be hundreds of millions [watching] in China,” Jason Ferguson, the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, said. “It could be the highest [television audience], we just keep on breaking records with snooker. “We have a really popular world champion [in Zhao]. He is popular, cool and funny – and funny in both languages. His winning has had a huge impact on the sport and it has gone from strength to strength.” While historic results had Ding, who won four of their six career meetings, with the upper hand against Zhao, recent form was another matter. Zhao leads the tour with 77 century breaks this season and was the first player to win all three Players Series titles in one season. Ding, on the other hand, has reached the quarter-finals of a ranking tournament only twice. Zhao also thrashed Ding 6-1 in their most recent meeting at the Shanghai Masters last July, producing three century breaks along the way. The dilemma for Chinese fans is that while a Crucible title would befit the legendary status of Ding, given his massive contribution to the development of the sport in the country, there were also fears that the 15-time ranking tournament winner would not be able to go all the way if he beats Zhao. Regardless of the outcome of the all-Chinese encounter at the Crucible Theatre, Ding’s hope of having four Chinese players in the semi-finals, “just like at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong”, will not be realised. Only four Chinese players survived the first round, with three in the upper half of the draw and only Wu Yize – tipped by Ronnie O’Sullivan to be a future world No 1 and world champion – in the bottom half. On Friday, that number was down to three, after world No 9 Xiao Guodong was beaten 13-3 by England’s Shaun Murphy, who will face the winner of Ding v Zhao in the quarter-finals. Wu has to overcome four-time world champion Mark Selby to do the same. Separately, the China Open, first established in 1997, is set to return to the World Snooker Tour calendar for the first time since 2019, when it is staged in Taiyuan this August. A ranking tournament since 1999 and previously held in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, the China Open will see 32 players competing in the final stages, with initial qualifiers being held in the United Kingdom. Neil Robertson was the last winner of the event before the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020 edition.

World Snooker Championship: Zhao Xintong, Ding Junhui clash set to break TV viewing records

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}With only four Chinese players remaining, second-round match between champ and trailblazer could draw biggest TV audience in sport’s history

With only four Chinese players remaining, second-round match between champ and trailblazer could draw biggest TV audience in sport’s history