Mark Williams makes Zhao Xintong feelings clear with claim in middle of Crucible final

Mark Williams declared Zhao Xintong ‘the best potter he’s ever seen’ as he was overwhelmed in the World Snooker Championship final. The 50-year-old headed into Monday with a daunting five-frame mountain to climb at 11-6.

But he was only able to add another two to his tally as the Chinese superstar put himself on the brink of history. At 17-8 heading into the evening session, Xintong needs just one frame to become the first Chinese champion.

And Williams admitted he had no answer for his opponent, who enjoyed a similarly dominant win over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semis. “That was tough – I’ve not got enough cue power to combat tough conditions like Zhao,” Williams posted on social media during the break.

“His cue power is superb. Prob the best potter I’ve ever seen. Last session in a few hours. Support I have had this last two weeks has been amazing from the crowd and everyone."

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If and when Zhao completes the job later on Monday he will become only the third qualifier to win the title after Shaun Murphy and Terry Griffiths, as well as the first amateur, having lost his tour card as a consequence of his 20-month ban for his involvement in a betting scandal in 2023.

Zhao resumed his comeback on the Q Tour last September and won 46 of his 48 subsequent matches to reach the Crucible final, including sweeping through four qualifying rounds, a record for a prospective winner.

Williams narrowly avoided becoming the first player since 1993 to lose a Crucible final with a session to spare but was still left needing a miracle.

If XIntong gets over the line, he will bank £500,000, move up to 11th in the world and guarantee himself as a second seed in tournaments for the next year. And O’Sullivan also believes the victory would catapult the 28-year-old into mega stardom, both here and around the world.

"I think it would be amazing. If he did win, he would be a megastar,” the Rocket said after his own Crucible exit. "He's still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well. He can definitely get over the line."

The victory is sure to divide some fans, given his ban, but snooker chief Barry Hearn said Xintong’s slate is clear after serving his time. He said: "He has served a ban for what some people would call a very minor offence.

"He's a quality player and I think he's a nice young man. Rules are rules and you take it on the chin. If you make a mistake in life, you don't look back, you look forward.

"He's looking forward to being world snooker champion. That's his dream. When you've paid a price for something the slate's clear, otherwise you have no life forever."