Zhao Xintong proved that his immense pedigree didn’t diminish throughout his current snooker ban after compiling a 147 break at Q Tour 3 on Saturday.
The previous UK champion made the right contribution within the final body of his 4-1 victory over teenager Shaun Liu within the final 64.
It represents the primary most break ever recorded on the Q Tour, an beginner feeder circuit that gives an avenue for gamers to graduate onto the World Snooker Tour.
Zhao will likely be hoping to make use of the Q Tour to regain his place on the primary tour having surrendered his elite standing on the again of final 12 months’s match-fixing scandal.
Ten Chinese language gamers had been judged to have been concerned in a widespread match-fixing operation that despatched shockwaves via the game.
Zhao was deemed to bear data of others fixing matches and was additionally responsible of betting on snooker matches, however he was acquitted of fixing matches himself – therefore a lighter sentence in comparison with his countrymen.
Liang Wenbo and Li Dangle had been handed the heaviest sentences – lifetime snooker bans – for his or her respective roles on the entrance of the betting ring.
Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao was additionally given a multi-year ban, the 24 year-old unable to return to aggressive motion till December in 2027 on the earliest.
Zhao, nevertheless, was free to return to the game and start his comeback after his shorter ban ended initially of September.
The 27 year-old first participated in Q Tour Occasion 2 in Bulgaria final month, however regardless of successful a few early-round fixtures he bowed out within the final 64 with defeat to Craig Steadman.
It was in the identical spherical this weekend in Stockholm the place Zhao produced his second of magic to remind everybody within the sport of the great expertise that he possesses.
Earlier than his ban, the previous IBSF World Novice Championship runner-up had been breaking via as one of many new stars of the sport.
Success on the 2021 UK Championship in York was shortly adopted by a second rating title on the German Masters in Berlin.
He was ranked as excessive as quantity six on the planet, so it will likely be fascinating to see if he can return to these heights once more sooner or later.
The Q Tour will supply Zhao the most effective alternatives to make it again earlier than the 2025/26 snooker season commences subsequent summer season.
The highest-ranked participant on the European Q Tour rankings will obtain an computerized two-year card to compete on the skilled circuit.
Three further spots will likely be up for grabs via a play-off event involving high-ranked gamers on the European Q Tour and others from the World Q Tour sequence of occasions held all over the world.
In Q Tour Occasion 3, Zhao is thru to the final 16 the place he’ll face veteran former professional Peter Strains on Sunday.
Q Tour Occasion 3
Final 16
Alfie Davies vs Craig Steadman
Umut Dikme vs Peter Devlin
Alex Clenshaw vs Rory McLeod
Florian Nuessle vs Steven Hallworth
Zhao Xintong vs Peter Strains
Oliver Sykes vs Nicolas Morteaux
Barry Pinches vs Sean O’Sullivan
Ryan Thomerson vs Mateusz Baranowski
Click on right here to view the total draw
(snooker.org)
Featured photograph credit score: WPBSA
