Chinese star Zhao Xintong hopes to continue winning run at World Snooker Championship
A win for 29-year-old, who made Players Series history on Sunday, would see him become the first player to defend his title at the Crucible
Zhao Xintong has said he hopes to maintain his winning form for the defence of his World Snooker Championship title – a feat no first-time winner has been able to achieve at the Crucible.
The Chinese snooker star made history last weekend when he won the Tour Championship to become the first player to win all three Players Series events in a single season, but the 29-year-old has a new challenge awaiting him in two weeks.
Zhao’s sixth career ranking title came on Sunday after he defeated world No 1 Judd Trump 10-3 in Manchester to add to the Players Championship and World Grand Prix titles won earlier in the season.
In an official post-match interview, Zhao expressed satisfaction with his form and looked forward to the World Snooker Championship.
“I feel quite good for now. Of course, the World Championship is a fresh start, so I hope to maintain this momentum. The result isn’t the most important thing, but I want to perform well,” he said.
Zhao described the win as “a big moment” for him, noting that Trump was a player he admired, and humbly acknowledged that issues with his opponent’s cue tip provided an opening.
