Zhao Xintong has defeated Ryan Thomerson 4-2 to become the first player to win three consecutive WPBSA Q Tour Europe events at the Austrian Snooker Academy, Vienna.
The former UK Champion has extended his winning streak on snooker’s premier secondary amateur circuit to a record 24 matches, and stands on the brink of a return to the professional World Snooker Tour.
The 27-year-old now leads closest chaser Dylan Emery by 4,900 points with a maximum 6,000 to be won at the final two events of the season in Belgium and England. A run to the final at Event 6 will be enough to confirm his return to the top table regardless of other results.
Zhao was in top form throughout the event, firing in eight century breaks including a tournament high 142 during the final and he began the event with victories against Stephen Kershaw, Josh Mulholland and Luke Pinches to reach the final day.
Having come though a close match with fellow former professional Steven Hallworth, Zhao was then given a real scare as he fell 0-3 behind against England’s Matthew Glasby, before recovering to win 4-3 with a clearance of 51 in the final frame.
From there he quickly dispensed with former Q Tour event winner Sean O’Sullivan in the last four, to set up a title match with Ryan Thomerson.
The Australian player, who is looking to regain his professional place having spent two years on Tour from 2022-24, survived deciding-frame finishes in each of his first three matches against Alfie Davies, Halim Hussain and Mateusz Baranowski, before adding the scalps of Liam Highfield and Hayden Staniland to reach the final.
Having compiled five century breaks prior to the final, Zhao continued his scoring streak with breaks of 123 and 101 to take an early lead, before Thomerson won a close third frame to close to 1-2.
Zhao responded with a tournament high break of 142 in the fourth, with Thomerson responded with 85 to keep his opes alive. Former world number six Zhao was not to be denied his Q Tour hat-trick, however and finished with 54 in the sixth frame to lift the trophy.
The victory capped a weekend of high-quality snooker with a Q Tour record 35 century breaks compiled during the event in Vienna.
The WPBSA Q Tour Europe continues with Event 6 which runs from 10-12 January at the Delta Moon in Mons, Belgium. Entry for the tournament remains open via WPBSA SnookerScores.
