Latest news with #Cwm-born
Wales Online
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Steve Davis admits Zhao Xintong's 20-month ban is a 'stain' as BBC pundits give their view
Steve Davis admits Zhao Xintong's 20-month ban is a 'stain' as BBC pundits give their view Zhao Xintong claimed his first World Snooker Championship title following an 18-12 win over Mark Williams - but his 20-month ban for betting offences remains "a stain" on his reputation Snooker pundit Steve Davis called Zhao Xintong's 20-month ban "a stain" on his record - but he believes in second chances (Image: Getty ) BBC punditry pair Steve Davis and John Parrott gave their sincere appraisals of Zhao Xintong after he beat Mark Williams to win his maiden World Snooker Championship. He became the first Asian player to lift the title following a 20-month suspension for betting-related offences that rocked the snooker world. The gifted Chinese star outperformed Williams and held on to clinch an 18-12 victory on Monday. That was despite Cwm-born Williams launching a late comeback attempt in what can only be described as a Crucible classic. Zhao, 28, had been barred in 2023 due to his involvement in a match-fixing investigation - a controversy resulting in 10 players being either permanently banned or handed prolonged suspensions. Although Zhao wasn't found to have fixed matches himself, he confessed to links with others who had and faced penalties for betting on matches. Davis and Parrott nonetheless agreed Zhao has earned his chance at redemption on the baize. And recent events suggest the first Asian world champion is too talented to deny. Commenting on Zhao's victory over Williams, Davis told the BBC's Hazel Irvine (via The Mirror): "I think we should celebrate [his World Championship win], the fact he plays breath-taking snooker. Obviously the blip, it's a stain on his CV - hopefully lessons have been learnt, by all players [and] not just him. "I think most people would agree everyone deserves a second chance. And, boy, hasn't he taken it." Article continues below Parrott echoed a similar sentiment as he added: "It's a second chance, and he's totally redeemed himself. He did the crime, he's had the time, he held his hand up, the association has handled it with the punishment he got. Gwent native Mark Williams was all smiles despite his defeat in the final (Image: MARK WILLIAMS/X ) "Two of his compatriots got life bans, it was handled very well. Here he is, he's got a second chance, he's come back and he won't be doing it again." Snooker legend Davis further lauded Zhao and continued: "Every time anybody put anything up to him, he responded. He's a cool customer. He just takes everything in his stride, and he's going to be a danger in the future. "You see the quality of Zhao Xintong - it's the future and the shape of things to come. But not just from China, we're seeing more players come out from Europe as well. It's going to be a slow diversification around the world and snooker will be the healthier for it. "From the UK's perspective, we've got some great young players coming through as well - it's going to be a great balance in the future. It's no longer just the top 16 that have it all their own way - the qualifiers are their own individual tournament and the qualifiers are getting stronger and stronger." BBC pundits Davis and John Parrott didn't shy away from acknowledging Zhao's dark period (Image: BBC ) Zhao himself spoke about his suspension during the UK Championship in November, an event he won back two years prior. He referred to the incident as "a little mistake," acknowledging the challenge posed by the language barrier. "Two years ago I made a little mistake, now I've come back," he said at the time. "I know how important snooker is to me and now I just want to come back to the snooker table. Let them know this is a big lesson, don't make the mistake. Play snooker, it's a very good thing." Article continues below Williams, 50, attempted a brief resurgence during Monday's final session after trailing 17-8 from the afternoon's play. However, even the Welshman conceded he was running on empty, describing Zhao as potentially "the greatest potter he has seen."
Wales Online
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
'Legend of the game' – Judd Trump's comments about Mark Williams say it all
'Legend of the game' – Judd Trump's comments about Mark Williams say it all Crucible king Judd Trump will face Mark 'The Welsh Potting Machine' Williams in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Snooker Championship - and he has revealed precisely what he thinks of his foe Mark Williams has been lauded as a "legend" ahead of his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Judd Trump (Image: George Wood, Getty Images ) Snooker sensation Judd Trump has generously applauded Mark Williams in the build-up to their much-anticipated semi-final clash at the 2025 World Snooker Championship. The pair are set for a monumental encounter, which gets underway on Thursday evening. Trump advanced to the last four following a striking comeback against Luca Brecel, where he came from behind to take the last six frames and win 13-8. Yet he now comes up against a three-time world champion in Williams, who showcased his resilience by narrowly defeating John Higgins in the quarter-finals. 'The Welsh Potting Machine' triumphed over fellow icon Higgins in an agonisingly close battle. And with it came his first semi-final appearance since 2022 - when it was Trump who ended his journey. When asked about their imminent duel after his win against Brecel, 35-year-old Trump was full of reverence for Cwm-born Williams. And the tournament favourite was only too aware of their shared history in Sheffield when speaking to BBC Sport (via the Daily Express). "[The] last time I was in the semi-final, I think I played him," said 'The Ace in the Pack'. "It was an epic then, he obviously had an epic against John Higgins - it's such a slog, this tournament. "Still a long way to go, but Mark is a legend of the game. I think whoever won out of John and Mark, I was gonna be happy to play if I got through. . .turns out it's Mark, and it's going to be a great game." Article continues below Trump boasts a dominant 23-11 win-loss record against Williams (Image: Getty ) It's not the first time Trump has praised his Welsh rival, who has won only 11 of their 34 matchups to date. One such memorable clash occurred in the final of last summer's inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where Trump narrowly secured a 10-9 win. Despite showing formidable skill with three century breaks, 50-year-old Williams had to be content with the £200,000 runner-up cheque. Yet Trump was commendably gracious after the match and still showered praise on the Gwent native. "It just shows what a champion he is, what a break he's made in the last frame there," he told TNT Sports, candidly confessing he "didn't deserve to win" the £500,000 grand prize. "Half a million quid, 62 behind, two reds there. Congratulations to him." Regardless of how the semis pan out, Trump is set to bag at least £200,000 from the World Championship. Half of that is for making it to the final four, and an additional £100,000 for a season tally of 100 century breaks, nine of which have been achieved in Sheffield alone. Williams' 13-12 semi-final triumph over John Higgins will go down in the Crucible history books (Image: Getty ) Article continues below Williams returned the compliment with his own glowing appraisal of Trump ahead of their Crucible clash: "All he's missing on his CV probably is another World Championship and if he gets another one of them, he has to be one of the greatest of all time." He went on to clarify he hopes this isn't the year that materialises before highlighting the magnitude of his century of centuries: "Oh yeah, not this year! There's no other player who had a sniff of winning that bonus £100,000. Only him because he's relentless." Despite that comment, Williams will hope to repay the favour from 2022 and cease Trump's rolling form this week. However, he'll have to beat the form player on the planet in order to do so.
