Zhao Xintong winning World Snooker Championship has rival 'fuming' as Stephen Hendry floats jealousy theory
Hendry isn't sure how Ding Junhui will cope with his compatriot becoming first Asian player to win the world title after betting ban
Stephen Hendry reckons Ding Junhui will be "fuming" after Zhaoi Xintong pipped him to a major snooker milestone.
The Chinese star became the first Asian player to win the World Championship after beating Welsh favourite Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible this week.
Xintong, who served a 20 month suspension for gambling offences, was a qualifier for the tournament and went all the way, knocking Ronnie O'Sullivan out in the semis before his final triumph.
And seven-time word champ Hendry doesn't think that will have gone down well with Ding, who lost in his only final appearance nine years ago is no longer the only face of the sport in China now.
"It'll be really interesting to see what Ding's thinking," the Scot told the Snooker Club podcast. "He's been the benchmark for Chinese snooker. He will be fuming. If it was me I'd be fuming.
"The fact is that Ding is snooker in China, Ding Junhui is snooker. Overnight he is not Mr Snooker anymore. It might spur him on, who knows, but it's something that's going to be difficult for him to handle, actually.
"If it was me, I'm Ding Junhui, I'm not happy tonight. I don't know Ding well, maybe he's close to Zhao and he's delighted for him.
"But if it was me I'm thinking: 'I'm not happy that I've had so many years to do it, I haven't managed to do it, this guy's come along after being out of the game for two years and just done it, qualified and done it.' He's now the man in China.
"There's a huge exhibition circuit, huge invitational tournament circuit apart from the ranking tournaments. Ding has to be there, Ding has to be involved, Ding is often one of the co-promoters and it's all about Ding. It's not going to be like that."
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