At 21:00 on February 8, the 2022 Snooker Players Championship began on the second day of competition, and China's snooker star Zhao Xintong appeared against world runner-up Hawkins.
The threshold for the Players Tournament is high, with a single season TOP16 qualifying for the tournament, with a championship prize of £125,000. Zhao Xintong is currently ranked 8th in the world, winning consecutive British Championships and German Masters championships this season, ranking 1st in a single season. The first 3 major tournament winners, the first player to win 2 ranking tournaments less than 2 months apart... Zhao Xintong continues to break the post-90s record. After the world's 5th and 90s 1st person Karen Wilson folded the first round, Zhao Xintong will become a post-90s flag bearer, the sword pointing to the top 8.
Zhao Xintong's opponent Hawkins holds three ranking championships, has reached the final of the World Championships, and is currently ranked 11th in the world. In the past 6 meetings between the 2 people, Zhao Xintong has the advantage of 4 wins and 2 losses, and this season he has a 6-1 hanging opponent in the only showdown, straight to the final of the British Championship and finally won the championship. Zhao Xintong also had a 6-1 victory over Hawkins: in the 2013 National Championships, the opponent had no way to fight back, and the Chinese teenager at that time was only 16 years old!
If Zhao Xintong can defeat his defeated generals to reach the second round, it is likely to usher in the Chinese derby in the quarterfinals. Yan Bingtao will play against Gilbert at the same time tonight, and after passing the first round, he will be the winner between PK Zhao Xintong and Hawkins. In the final of this year's German Masters, Zhao Xintong swept Yan Bingtao 9-0 to win the championship, and this time the 2 are likely to meet again. Zhao Xintong's recent state is significantly better than Yan Bingtao' and is expected to impact the third title of this season's ranking competition, can he do it?
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