Zhao Xintong proved that his immense pedigree didn’t diminish during his recent snooker ban after compiling a 147 break at Q Tour 3 on Saturday.
The former UK champion made the perfect contribution in the last frame of his 4-1 victory over teenager Shaun Liu in the last 64.
It represents the first maximum break ever recorded on the Q Tour, an amateur feeder circuit that provides an avenue for players to graduate onto the World Snooker Tour.
Zhao will be hoping to use the Q Tour to regain his place on the main tour having surrendered his elite status on the back of last year’s match-fixing scandal.
Ten Chinese players were judged to have been involved in a widespread match-fixing operation that sent shockwaves through the sport.
Zhao was deemed to bear knowledge of others fixing matches and was also guilty of betting on snooker matches, but he was acquitted of fixing matches himself – hence a lighter sentence compared to his countrymen.
Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were handed the heaviest sentences – lifetime snooker bans – for their respective roles at the front of the betting ring.
Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao was also given a multi-year ban, the 24 year-old unable to return to competitive action until December in 2027 at the earliest.
Zhao, however, was free to return to the sport and begin his comeback after his shorter ban ended at the start of September.
The 27 year-old first participated in Q Tour Event 2 in Bulgaria last month, but despite winning a couple of early-round fixtures he bowed out in the last 64 with defeat to Craig Steadman.
It was in the same round this weekend in Stockholm where Zhao produced his moment of magic to remind everyone in the game of the tremendous talent that he possesses.
Before his ban, the former IBSF World Amateur Championship runner-up had been breaking through as one of the new stars of the game.
Success at the 2021 UK Championship in York was quickly followed by a second ranking title at the German Masters in Berlin.
He was ranked as high as number six in the world, so it will be fascinating to see if he can return to those heights again in the future.
The Q Tour will offer Zhao one of the best opportunities to make it back before the 2025/26 snooker season commences next summer.
The top-ranked player on the European Q Tour rankings will receive an automatic two-year card to compete on the professional circuit.
Three additional spots will be up for grabs through a play-off tournament involving high-ranked players on the European Q Tour and others from the Global Q Tour series of events held around the world.
In Q Tour Event 3, Zhao is through to the last 16 where he will face veteran former pro Peter Lines on Sunday.
Q Tour Event 3
Last 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 Lines
Oliver Sykes vs Nicolas Morteaux
Barry Pinches vs Sean O’Sullivan
Ryan Thomerson vs Mateusz Baranowski
Click here to view the full draw
(snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WPBSA
