Ding Junhui's dad made feelings clear as Zhao Xintong becomes China's first snooker World Champion
Ding Junhui's dad made feelings clear as Zhao Xintong becomes China's first snooker World Champion
An inspired Zhao Xintong broke new ground at the Crucible on Monday as he was named Asia's first world snooker champion, and an iconic compatriot's father made his feelings known
Zhao Xintong has become China's first World Snooker Championship winner
(Image: Getty Images )
World champion Zhao Xintong earned the admiration of fellow Chinese snooker superstar Ding Junhui's father before his Crucible domination. Ding will forever be known as the potter who brought the game of snooker forward leaps and bounds in his homeland of China, inspiring generations with his trio of UK Championship titles and 2011 Masters win.
The man who spearheaded the Asian nation becoming a powerhouse within the sport looked for the longest time as though he would be the first from its shores to be named world champion, reaching the final in 2016. However, that title now goes to a different man, who first tasted ranking success at the UK Championship in 2021.
Qualifier Zhao, fresh off a 20-month ban for betting breaches as part of a match fixing saga that saw 10 Chinese players suspended, has rattled through the field in Sheffield and bested a resurgent Mark Williams 18-12 to lift the World Snooker Championship title and bank £500,000 on Monday.
After the clash, The Cyclone spoke to TNT Sports about his win, and was queried on his influential countryman Ding, being informed about how highly the 15-time ranking winner's father regards him.
TNT presenter Radzi Chinyanganya spoke to Zhao after his stunning win, and while on the topic of potter Ding, he said: "Ding's father is a big fan of yours. He says your character is very, very good. So even as a young boy, you had good character."
The world champion replied: "Yeah, I know Uncle Ding. He helped me a lot before. And, when I was young, sometimes he would ask me, 'What do you want to do?'"
Article continues below
Ding's father reportedly thinks the world of Zhao
(Image: PA )
While Zhao appeared collected in this chat, immediately after he claimed glory from Class of '92 hero Williams, who became the oldest-ever finalist when he made the showpiece this time around, the 28-year-old stated that winning this tournament was always a dream.
"I can't believe it. I am so happy. It feels like a dream right now," said Zhao. "I can't believe it's come true. I can't believe what I've done this month. It's been really exciting.
"My parents, Victoria and my girlfriend and my coach when I was wrong thank you. I'll have a good drink tonight to celebrate. I just want to thank everybody for their support. I was so nervous tonight. He put me under so much pressure."
Opponent Williams was full of praise for the Chinese star, even comparing him to another sporting phenom who has brought on his own game leaps and bounds, Luke Littler.
"I'm glad I'll be too old when he's dominating the game," revealed 50-year-old Williams, who already has 26 ranking titles to his illustrious name.
Article continues below
"I've got nothing but admiration for what he's done, coming through the qualifiers. He hasn't played for two years, bashed everybody up. There's a new superstar of the game.
"It could be huge for the sport. It could open floodgates everywhere. He could dominate or at least give [Judd] Trump or Kyren [Wilson] a run for their money.
"With the Luke Littler thing in darts. This is what snooker needed: someone like him coming through. It is bound to open doors. It will be front page on every news outlet going."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Punters dramatically lose faith in Rory McIlroy in wake of his astonishingly honest US Open confession
Rorymania is in short supply in Pennsylvania as the toughest venue in golf causes punters to panic Grand-slam golfing hero Rory McIlroy has watched his odds to win the US Open plummet hours after he admitted to a disastrous practice round at unforgiving Oakmont. The Masters champion confessed he shot an 81 during a scouting mission at the feared venue in Pennsylvania where the unforgiving rough and fiendishly difficult pin positions can make a fool out of the world's best. McIlroy robustly defended his scorecard which included two birdies on the 17th and 18th, however, faith among punters is on the wane with the Irishman now third in betting markets behind PGA winner Scottie Scheffler and defending US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau – the man who dramatically extended McIlroy's then 10-year wait for Major glory. And bookies admit Rorymania is in short supply as oddsmakers adjust their market forecast ahead of the action getting underway on Thursday with Scotland's Bob MacIntyre catching the eye. Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: 'Following his first missed cut of the season at the RBC Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy has drifted in the US Open outright market from 8/1 to 11/1, behind favourite Scottie Scheffler (13/5) and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (7/1). 'While McIlroy has drifted, others in the market have shortened – we've seen some late support come in for Ludvig Aberg, who we've cut to 20/1 from 25/1. 'Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele remain steady in the betting, priced 11/1 and 20/1 respectively. Further down the market, the British trio of Tommy Fleetwood (30/1), Justin Rose (60/1) and Bob MacIntyre (70/1) have been popular picks among punters before play gets underway at Oakmont Country Club.' Scottie Scheffler 13/5 Bryson DeChambeau 7/1 Rory McIlroy 11/1 Jon Rahm 11/1 Ludvig Aberg 20/1 Xander Schauffele 22/1 BAR 22/1 You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Rory McIlroy: This course is so hard I shot 81 in practice
There is tough and there is Oakmont tough. 'I played last week and birdied the last two – for an 81,' Rory McIlroy revealed. He was laughing as he said it, but inside a sizeable chunk of the Northern Irishman must be dreading the 125th US Open. The good news for the field is that the test has softened in the last seven days. 'There's been some rain since and it's much more benign,' McIlroy said. 'It was nearly impossible that Monday.' The bad news for McIlroy is that the rough remains brutal, and there will be no chance to launch birdie-escapology after errant tee shots, as it was at Augusta two months ago when he completed the career grand slam. 'A bit like at the Players [which he also won earlier this year], you can play recovery golf at the Masters, find gaps through the trees from the pine needles,' he said. 'This place won't let you do that. You've got to chop your ball out and then just try to make a par with a wedge in your hand. It's much, much more penal if you do miss. So hopefully I can hit a few more fairways than I have been hitting and give myself some opportunities.' It is fair to say that McIlroy did not sound overly convinced about his candidature here this week. In fact, his mood was flat and his body language portrayed that of a legendary sharpshooter going into a Mexican stand-off knowing that his duelling pistol is wonky and misfiring. McIlroy announced that he was pleased with his emergency sessions last weekend after a missed cut at the Canadian Open and feels more confident off the tee. 'What did I learn?' he said. 'I learnt that I wasn't using the right driver.' Equipment yarns are never the most gripping for the uninitiated outsiders, but McIlroy's troubles with the club he loves most, and in which many respects has defined his career, have been intriguing. At last month's US PGA Championship, he declined to talk to the press after it had been leaked that his Qi10 driver with which he had conquered Augusta had failed a random test. Over time, the faces become thinner and thus springier, and it is routine for drivers suddenly to become non-conforming. He had done nothing wrong – this is routine on tour – but McIlroy was forced to switch heads two days before the start of the season's major. The same fate befell Scottie Scheffler and the world No 1 shrugged off the distraction to lift the Wanamaker Trophy. McIlroy was asked on Tuesday if the late change had affected his challenge at Quail Hollow, where he finished tied 47th. 'It wasn't a big deal for Scottie, so it shouldn't have been a big deal for me,' he said. Maybe, but McIlroy is not Scheffler and has previously admitted that he finds it difficult to jump from one head to the next. 'Every driver sort of has its own character,' he said here. What is clear is that the personality of the TaylorMade Qi35 does not suit, because he has gone back to the Qi10 model and immediately located at least a tad of positivity. He and TaylorMade will pray this is the end of the saga. His many admirers will also be craving for a switch in the McIlroy narrative since his Augusta glory (when after an 11-year major drought, he finally joined Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan in winning all four majors). McIlroy concedes that the issue has not just been technical, but emotional as well. 'It's just been trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I've been working,' he said. 'I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year, all the way up until April this year, and it was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labour and have everything happen. 'You have to enjoy what you've just accomplished, but at some point, you have to realise that there's more golf left to play this season – here, Royal Portrush [in next month's Open], the Ryder Cup [in New York in September]. Those are obviously the three big things I'm looking at for the rest of the year. 'But, I do believe that after chasing a goal for the better part of a decade and a half, and finally achieving it, that I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax. However, here at Oakmont, I certainly can't relax this week.' Indeed, there is no respite on this remorseless examination, where balls will be lost in the thick stuff, where four-foot putts will run off these treacherous greens and where temperaments will boil over into the self-detrimental. In this shape, with his driving so suspect and with the hangover remaining so eminently evident, McIlroy cannot be fancied to equal Sir Nick Faldo's European record of six majors. But golf can be decidedly odd and, as he has been handed a dream draw for the first two rounds alongside his close friend Shane Lowry, and another ally in Masters runner-up Justin Rose, the world No 2 could fix his radar and quickly rediscover that swagger and elan. No more 81s, however.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
US Open food and drink prices confirmed as fans fume at eye-watering costs
The US Open gets underway on Thursday, with Rory McIlroy bidding to win his second major of the year, but supporters' attention has been drawn to the price of the menu in Pennsylvania Golf fans have been left flabbergasted after the food and drink prices for the US Open were revealed. The third major of the year tees off on Thursday, with Rory McIlroy gunning for his second win of the year. McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam by triumphing in the Masters at Augusta back in April. The Northern Irishman will face competition from American Bryson DeChambeau, who is looking to retain his US Open title. A third man in the running is Scottie Scheffler, who won the PGA Championship in May and will tee off as the bookies' favourite in Pennsylvania. Upwards of 200,000 people expected to attend the event at Oakmont Country Club. And supporters have been left furious after the course's food and drinks menu was released. A Philly cheesesteak is the heftiest meal on the menu - costing $13.95 (£10.33) - while crisps are $3.49 (£2.58). A single Corona will cost $11.95 (£8.85), while even a bottle of water is $4.95 (£3.66). An 'All Beef Hotdog' will set fans back $7.59 (£5.63), while an 'Asiago Turkey Sandwich' will cost $12.25 (£9.08). The most expensive drink on the menu is also the 'Official Cocktail of the US Open' - a canned lemon wedge by Dewar's. That will cost $13.95 (10.34), the saw as a Black Cherry Seltzer. What really astonished fans though was the price of a banana, which will cost $1.95 (£1.44). One fumed: "$1.98 for a banana??? I'm taking my business elsewhere!" Another said: "$1.95 for a banana is outrageous." While a third added: "Menu prices seem disconnected from the average attendee's budget." A fourth raged: "$7.50 for a hot dog is ridiculous especially when they ran out yesterday. During the Monday practice round. Good luck this weekend." It's far cry from Augusta National and the Masters where patrons are still able to tuck into food and drink for very reasonable prices. Fans walking the famous course in Georgia were able to get a sandwich from as cheap as $1.50, while a beer was priced at just $6. McIlroy was victorious at Augusta, but has admitted being concerned about his form after missing the cut at the Canadian Open. The world No.2 shot a dismal second-round 78 last Friday, with McIlroy admitting he is struggling to turn things around. 'Of course it concerns me. You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today,' McIlroy said on the PGA website. 'I felt like I came here with a new driver thinking that was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn't. 'Going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. Still searching for the missing piece off the tee. When I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now that isn't.'
