It's so accurate! Zhao Xintong beat Mark Williams 17-8, and won the match point in the final of the World Snooker Championship

At 8 p.m. on May 5, Beijing time, the final of the 2025 Snooker World Championships, Zhao Xintong and Mark Williams competed in the third stage, and the final adopted a 35-game 18-win system, which was divided into 4 stages (8/9/8/10), after 17 rounds in the first two stages, Zhao Xintong temporarily led 11-6, and the following brings detailed information.

After the first two stages of the final, Zhao Xintong 11-6 Mark Williams

2025 World Snooker Championship matchup

Zhao Xintong is 28 years old and started his snooker career at the age of 19, and gradually emerged with his super talent. In 2021, Zhao Xintong, who was 24 years old at the time, won the championship in the British Championship, one of the "three major competitions" of snooker, and became famous! Zhao Xintong's first ranking championship was the British Championships, and the starting point was indeed too high!

In 2022, Zhao Xintong won the German Masters again, and the world ranking has reached the top ten. Just when many fans had high expectations for Zhao Xintong's future, what happened next made many fans unbelievable.

At the beginning of 2023, Zhao Xintong was sentenced to a 2-and-a-half-year ban on suspicion of manipulating the results of the game, but Zhao Xintong did not obtain substantial benefits and had a good attitude, so the international ban was reduced to 1 year and 8 months, and the international ban was lifted on September 1, 2024. However, the Chinese Billiards Association will still maintain the ban on Zhao Xintong for 2 and a half years, and the domestic ban will be lifted in July 2025.

After Zhao Xintong's international ban was lifted, he won the two-year snooker tour qualification (25/26 season and 26-27 season) by winning the Q Tour championship for 4 consecutive times, and at the same time qualified for the 2025 World Snooker Championship Qualifying Tournament, so in this World Championships, Zhao Xintong participated as an amateur player with a wild card.

Zhao Xintong started from the first round of the World Championships qualifying round (144 into 112), won 8 consecutive games and became the first amateur player to advance to the finals of the World Snooker Championship! Zhao Xintong's promotion path is:

Qualifying round 1 (144 into 112): 10-3 Zhang Jiawei (103)

Qualifying second round (112 into 80): 10-8 Long Zehuang (61)

Qualifying round 3 (80 into 48): 10-4 Lu Haotian (37)

Qualifying round 4 (48 into 32): 10-8 Elliott Slesser (28)

First round (32 into 16): 10-4 Jack Jones (16)

1/8 Finals: 13-10 Lei Peifan (39)

1/4 Finals: 13-5 Wakelin (20)

Semifinals: 17-7 O'Sullivan (5)

Mark Williams, 50 years old, is known as the "75 Three" of snooker along with O'Sullivan and Higgins, and has won a total of 26 ranking tournaments in his career, and has previously advanced to the World Championship finals 4 times, and won 3 of them.

In this World Championships, Mark Williams directly advanced to the main draw (round of 32) as the No. 6 seed, and after winning 4 consecutive games, he became the oldest player to advance to the World Championship final at the age of 50 years and 46 days!

Mark Williams' path to the cut is:

First round of the main draw (32 into 16): 10-8 Wu Yize (22)

Second round (16-8): 13-10 Hussein Vafi (24)

1/4 Finals: 13-12 Higgins (3)

Semifinals: 17-14 Trump (1)

It is not difficult to see from the promotion path of Zhao Xintong and Mark Williams that both are in very good shape, and who can win the championship in the final depends on the performance on the spot. After 17 rounds in the first two stages of the finals, Zhao Xintong's overall performance was better, temporarily leading 11-6, but the game is not over, anything can happen, and Zhao Xintong still needs to stabilize his mentality. The following brings the detailed match information of the third stage of the two-person final (8 rounds).

Game 18

After Mark Williams kicked off, Zhao Xintong scored a precise long platform to get a layup, and scored 46 points with a single shot, and the offense was interrupted, so he had to choose defense. Mark Williams used the combination ball to get a layup opportunity, scoring just five points on a single shot and making a mistake on the blue ball. Zhao Xintong seized the opportunity, scored 30 points with a single stroke, and won the 18th game 76-5, and Zhao Xintong 12-6 Mark Williams!

Game 19

Mark Williams started but scored just six points, before the defense was unlucky and a four-point penalty for a cue ball drop. Zhao Xintong's defense left holes, and Mark Williams scored accurately on the long platform, but there was no color ball connection to continue to choose defense.

Zhao Xintong used the accuracy to get the upper hand again, only scored 7 points in a single stroke, and after multiple defenses between the two sides, Mark Williams scored a long red ball and successfully made a snooker, Zhao Xintong made a mistake to hit the black ball and was penalized 7 points.

After Zhao Xintong tried to fight for the long platform unsuccessfully, Mark Williams scored 8 points with a single stroke, and there was a mistake in hitting the pink ball, at this time Mark Williams led by 12 points at 23-11, and Zhao Xintong scored 6 points with a single shot and also made a mistake in the offense.

Mark Williams scored 35 points in a single shot and chose defense, leading by 40 points at 58-18 with two red balls left on the table (up to 43 points). Zhao Xintong made a defensive error, Mark Williams scored 8 points in a single shot, winning the 19th game 66-18, and Mark Williams 7-12 Zhao Xintong!

Game 20

Zhao Xintong's long platform attack failed, and Mark Williams fought into the long platform, but only scored 7 points with a single shot, and after a few defenses between the two sides, Zhao Xintong used accuracy to get a chance to get on the phone, and there was no way Zhao Xintong was so accurate!

Zhao Xintong scored 58 points with a single shot, leading by 51 points at 58-7, and there were 2 red balls left on the table (up to 43 points), Mark Williams did not admit defeat, but then Mark Williams accidentally scored the black ball and was penalized for 7 points, but he could only admit defeat, Zhao Xintong 13-7 Mark Williams!

Game 21

Mark Williams scored 45 offensive interruptions with a single shot, Zhao Xintong scored 40 points twice, leaving a bag of lipstick balls, but the line was blocked, Mark Williams used the stick to score the red ball, and the cue ball fell into the bag and was penalized 4 points! Zhao Xintong got the free ball, Zhao Xintong did not give the opponent another chance, cleared the table with a strong shot, won the 21st game 85-45, Zhao Xintong 14-7 Mark Williams!

Game 22

After Mark Williams kicked off, Zhao Xintong was a precise long platform to get a chance to get on the phone, and then luck also came to bless, and the green ball unexpectedly entered the middle pocket! Zhao Xintong scored 31 points with a single stroke, Mark Williams made an offensive error, Zhao Xintong scored 11 points with a single stroke, and left a pocket lipstick ball, and Mark Williams hit the black ball after scoring the bag lipstick ball.

Zhao Xintong scored another 10 points in a single stroke and took the lead 52-1. Mark Williams's mentality seems to have collapsed, and there were mistakes in defense, Zhao Xintong cleared the table with a strong shot, scored 52 points with a single shot, and won the 22nd game 104-1, Zhao Xintong 15-7 Mark Williams!

Game 23

Mark Williams scored 18 points in a single stroke, made a mistake in hitting the black ball, and Zhao Xintong failed to score a red ball to connect the color ball, and then the two went into defensive mode. Zhao Xintong scored 14 points twice, and the offensive error left the old horse a chance, Mark Williams seized the opportunity this time, scored 66 points in a single shot, and won the 23rd game 84-14, Mark Williams 8-15 Zhao Xintong!

Game 24

Zhao Xintong's long platform attack failed to leave a chance, Mark Williams scored 26 points with a single shot, the offense was interrupted, Zhao Xintong scored 12 points to choose defense, Mark Williams made another mistake in the offense, Zhao Xintong scored 67 points with a single shot, 79-26 won the 24th game, Zhao Xintong 16-8 Mark Williams!

Game 25

Zhao Xintong scored 12 points on two starts, Mark Williams was penalized 18 points for 4 ball errors, and Zhao Xintong scored 7 points with a single shot to take the lead 37-0! Mark Williams scored 36 points on two starts, only to leave a bag of lipstick balls and a fatal mistake!

Zhao Xintong didn't give Lao Ma any more chance, and scored 25 points with a single stroke, winning the 25th game 62-36, and Zhao Xintong 17-8 Mark Williams took the lead in getting the match point! I believe that fans who have watched this game have a feeling, Zhao Xintong is really accurate!