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Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Stephen Hendry reveals snooker star who will be ‘fuming' at Zhao Xintong's Worlds win
Zhao Xintong made history on Monday when he became the first ever Chinese player to lift the World Snooker Championship, beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the final of the prestigious tournament Stephen Hendry believes Ding Junhui may be "fuming" after Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese world champion in snooker. Zhao, 28, shocked the world after defeating seasoned pro Mark Williams in the World Snooker Championship final on Monday, securing an 18-12 victory over the Welsh star. His triumph concluded a sensational campaign at the Crucible where Zhao bagged 111 frames over nine matches during a 29-day period that included his qualifying rounds. The young Chinese player's remarkable journey also featured a semi-final win against the legendary Ronnie O'Sullivan. Although China will undoubtedly be celebrating their new world snooker hero, Hendry suspects Ding - long seen as the face of Chinese snooker - may be grappling with mixed emotions. As a pioneer for the sport in his homeland, Ding carried the torch for Chinese snooker for years, achieving three UK Championships and a Masters victory. However, the elusive prize of a World Championship victory at the Crucible still remains out of his grasp, with his closest shot being a runner-up finish in 2016 against Mark Selby, reports Wales Online. Reflecting on Ding's probable feelings about not being the first from his nation to clinch a World Championship, and based on his impressive track record, Hendry opined that Ding would likely feel a sense of personal disappointment. The seven-time world champ told the Snooker Club podcast: "It'll be really interesting to see what Ding's thinking. "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." He added: "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-promoter and it's all about Ding. "It's not going to be like that. There's a whole new outlook to it now, so it will be interesting to see the dynamics." Ding secured a 10-7 victory over Zak Surety in his first match at the Crucible this year before taking on Belgian prodigy Luca Brecel in round two. However, his run was cut short by the former world champion with a 13-4 defeat. Despite being outshone by fellow countryman Zhao, the gracious player took to social media to celebrate the star's triumph in Monday's final, writing: "Congratulations to Zhao Xintong for winning the World Championship. "I said before, 'I am very happy to see that the threshold I broke in the past has now become everyone's runway!' And today, someone finally reached the finish line on this runway! "This moment of glory is the best reward for the Chinese fans who have been supporting Chinese snooker and waiting for this day! The darkness we once walked through, it was all so that people could see the light. Today Zhao Xintong did it! "What he won is the shared dream of generations of Chinese snooker players. I'm happy for you and proud of the rise of Chinese strength!"
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Zhao Xintong v Mark Williams: World Snooker Championship final
We say this every year, but it bears annual repetition. In life, there are few things – or people – or divinities – on which we can rely never, ever to disappoint us. But the World Snooker Championships are one such, and the last fortnight has bestowed upon us another jazzer. That's not to say it's the same vibe every year, far from it. Once upon a time, this tournament confirmed the identity of the best player in the world – Steve Davis through the 80s, Stephen Hendry the 90s – but now, though Judd Trump has dominated the last few years, he's won this trophy only once because he standard is so high anyone in the field can beat anyone else in the field. As such, we've had six different world champions in the last seven years, three of them first-time winners. It's unlikely many, if any of us, expected to spend the bank holiday weekend obsessed with Zhao Xintong v Mark J Williams. Which is to say that nowadays, our tournament does still confirms the identity of the best player in the world, but only during these last two weeks. In theory, this is a lesser outcome – our players come and go, so don't represent our family heritage in the way our teams do – but in practice, even individual sport isn't solely about facts, rather about people and their stories, which exist in thrillingly inexhaustible supply. In any case, it doesn't really make sense to say Mark J Williams comes and goes, given he first contested a final in 1999, then picked up the pot in 2000. Except it also kind of does, given he was set to quit the game in 2018, disgusted by the waning of his considerable powers. But his wife, Jo, persuaded him to continue, he miraculously, affirmingly, snaffled the title for the third time, and since then has re-established himself as part of the elite, a one-off technician with a unique snooker brain, and one of the greatest big-match temperaments we've ever seen – in any sport. Already an indisputable great of the game, a fourth biggun would take him level with John Higgins and Mark Selby in the all-time list; what an honour that'd be. Standing in his way, though, is a redemption tale of mythological proportions. Zhao Xintong exploded into our consciousness in 2021-22, winning the UK Championships followed by the German Masters six weeks later. His long-to-mid-range potting was barely believable in the ferocity of its accuracy, so too his coruscating calm … and then, in 2023, he was suspended pending a match-fixing investigation, eventually receiving a 20-month ban for being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself. No, it wasn't pretty; yes, he was young. Since returning to the game, Zhao has devastated almost everything in his path – most recently Ronnie O'Sullivan – and arrives at this final in sensational form. But Mark J has made a career out of extinguishing exactly that, so turn on the telly, draw the curtains, and for the next two days, shut out everything that isn't this. You'll not regret it. Start: 1pm BST Share
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Higgins' massive net worth and sting operation that rocked sporting world
John Higgins has taken another step towards a fifth world title after making it through to the quarter-finals of this year's World Snooker Championship. The 49-year-old will face Welshman Mark Williams in an enticing last eight match-up on Tuesday, having edged past Xiao Guodong of China with a 13-12 victory in the second round. Higgins is looking to add to the titles he won at the Crucible in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but faces stiff opposition in Williams, who he lost out to in the World Championship final seven years ago. Having turned professional in 1992, Higgins is now one of the most successful players of all time, with his 33 ranking titles putting him third in the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind only Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. READ MORE: Mark Williams' huge net worth, career-threatening health condition and entrepreneur wife READ MORE: Shaun Murphy's 'life-saving' surgery, marriage splits and 'unsavoury' escort story In addition to his World Championship titles, he has also won three UK Championships and two Masters titles, with his total of nine Triple Crown wins putting him level with Mark Selby and behind only O'Sullivan, Hendry and Steve Davis. A former world number one, Higgins also spent a record 29 years of his career in the top 16 players globally, only dropping out in September last year. But despite his success at the table, it's fair to say that the Scottish star has not attracted quite the same celebrity status as the likes of O'Sullivan and Hendry, with much of his personal life kept out of the spotlight. However, that is not to say he has led an uneventful life away from the table, having faced plenty of ups and downs over the course of his time in professional snooker. Here's what you need to know. As one of the most successful snooker players of all time, it is unsurprising that Higgins is also one of the most wealthy. Over the course of his 33 year career, he has banked a whopping £10.5 million in prize money, according to CueTracker. Nearly £600,000 of that amount has come this season, making it the second most profitable individual campaign of his career after 2016/17, when he banked just over £650,000. According to reports, Higgins has an estimated net worth of around £8.8 million, making him the eighth richest player of all-time. Having won the World Championship in 2009, Higgins was banned from snooker the following year in a move that sent shockwaves through the sport. The snooker ace - who was the world number one at the time - was at the centre of a sting operation carried out by the News of the World in Ukraine, which the tabloid claimed showed him and his then-manager agreeing to lose specific frames in future matches for money. An investigation followed and Higgins was cleared of match-fixing allegations, with an independent tribunal placing responsibility on his former business partner, Pat Mooney, who received a lifetime ban despite dodging match-fixing charges on a technicality. However, the Scotsman didn't escape punishment altogether as he was found guilty of failing to disclose an invitation to breach the sport's betting rules and giving the impression that he was agreeing to it. As a result, he was hit with a six-month suspension from professional snooker and fined £75,000, as well as additional costs of £10,000. After receiving the ban, Higgins said: "I welcome today's judgment by Sport Resolutions and endorsed by the WPBSA following their exhaustive inquiry into the allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper. "I am pleased that Sport Resolutions and WPBSA have concluded, after a thorough and fair investigation, that I was not guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention to fix a match and no intention to do anything corrupt." Vowing to return to snooker a "stronger person", he added: "I accept the decision to suspend me for six months and impose a fine of £75,000. Those who run WPBSA have made it plain that if the sport is to advance it must be above reproach and those of us playing and involved in snooker must be cleaner than clean. "Those who know me will appreciate that I have tried to encourage and advance snooker. I have tried to be an ambassador for the sport." Describing the ordeal as "traumatic", Higgins said it had been "made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match." He added: "I have been sustained by the love and support of my wife, family and friends." However, the snooker star soon bounced back as he returned from his ban and won the World Championship for a fourth time in 2011. Higgins has been married to his wife Denise since 2010, having met at school as teenagers. They have since welcomed three children - sons Pierce and Oliver and daughter Claudia - and they sometimes join their father at competitions, particularly major championships. While Denise tends to avoid the limelight, she has been a source of unwavering support for her husband throughout his career and has been present for some of his biggest moments as a professional. However, she missed out on seeing him win his 32nd ranking title at the World Open in March, as a logistical error meant she flew out to Hong Kong too late to watch him in action in the final. "It's just a shame, my missus is coming to Hong Kong and she's going to be flying tomorrow while I'll be playing the final," he told the Metro at the time. 'We didn't work that out right, she's getting on a flight today to Hong Kong, so hopefully when she lands I'll have a chance of winning the title.' Higgins suffered heartbreak in February 2011 as his father John Sr passed away following a six-year battle with cancer. He had been competing at the German Masters in Berlin when he was told that his father's condition was deteriorating, leading him to immediately withdraw from the tournament and fly back to Glasgow. Tragically however, he was told of his dad's death as he prepared to board the flight alongside his brother Joe. John Sr had been told he had terminal cancer on the same day that his son was cleared of match-fixing allegations. After winning the UK Championship on his return to the sport, Higgins dedicated his victory to his late father, saying: "This is my finest hour. This is for my dad." The Scottish star also faced a family health scare ahead of this year's World Championship, withdrawing from the media day and skipping the annual pre-tournament festivities like the Champions Dinner and Green Carpet Ceremony after his father-in-law suffered a heart attack days before the opening round. After supporting his wife Denise, Higgins returned to Sheffield to clinch a 10-7 victory over Joe O'Connor in the opening round. Following that win, he was left in tears as he spoke to the BBC and needed consoling by presenter Seema Jaswal. "Obviously my father-in-law wasn't great," he said. "I was sitting having dinner with my boy last night and I was thinking about sitting here with my dad 25 years ago. I was drained today. "I had a couple of hours sleep, I came out tonight feeling much better and definitely played a lot better. I am still so proud that I am still playing at a good level at this age."
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
John Higgins' massive net worth and sting operation that rocked sporting world
John Higgins' massive net worth and sting operation that rocked sporting world The four-time world champion faces Mark Williams in the quarter-finals of this year's World Snooker Championship Higgins is aiming for a fifth world title in Sheffield John Higgins has taken another step towards a fifth world title after making it through to the quarter-finals of this year's World Snooker Championship. The 49-year-old will face Welshman Mark Williams in an enticing last eight match-up on Tuesday, having edged past Xiao Guodong of China with a 13-12 victory in the second round. Higgins is looking to add to the titles he won at the Crucible in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but faces stiff opposition in Williams, who he lost out to in the World Championship final seven years ago. Having turned professional in 1992, Higgins is now one of the most successful players of all time, with his 33 ranking titles putting him third in the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind only Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. In addition to his World Championship titles, he has also won three UK Championships and two Masters titles, with his total of nine Triple Crown wins putting him level with Mark Selby and behind only O'Sullivan, Hendry and Steve Davis. A former world number one, Higgins also spent a record 29 years of his career in the top 16 players globally, only dropping out in September last year. But despite his success at the table, it's fair to say that the Scottish star has not attracted quite the same celebrity status as the likes of O'Sullivan and Hendry, with much of his personal life kept out of the spotlight. However, that is not to say he has led an uneventful life away from the table, having faced plenty of ups and downs over the course of his time in professional snooker. Here's what you need to know. Article continues below Massive net worth As one of the most successful snooker players of all time, it is unsurprising that Higgins is also one of the most wealthy. Over the course of his 33 year career, he has banked a whopping £10.5 million in prize money, according to CueTracker. Nearly £600,000 of that amount has come this season, making it the second most profitable individual campaign of his career after 2016/17, when he banked just over £650,000. According to reports, Higgins has an estimated net worth of around £8.8 million, making him the eighth richest player of all-time. Ban from snooker Having won the World Championship in 2009, Higgins was banned from snooker the following year in a move that sent shockwaves through the sport. The snooker ace - who was the world number one at the time - was at the centre of a sting operation carried out by the News of the World in Ukraine, which the tabloid claimed showed him and his then-manager agreeing to lose specific frames in future matches for money. An investigation followed and Higgins was cleared of match-fixing allegations, with an independent tribunal placing responsibility on his former business partner, Pat Mooney, who received a lifetime ban despite dodging match-fixing charges on a technicality. However, the Scotsman didn't escape punishment altogether as he was found guilty of failing to disclose an invitation to breach the sport's betting rules and giving the impression that he was agreeing to it. As a result, he was hit with a six-month suspension from professional snooker and fined £75,000, as well as additional costs of £10,000. After receiving the ban, Higgins said: "I welcome today's judgment by Sport Resolutions and endorsed by the WPBSA following their exhaustive inquiry into the allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper. "I am pleased that Sport Resolutions and WPBSA have concluded, after a thorough and fair investigation, that I was not guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention to fix a match and no intention to do anything corrupt." Vowing to return to snooker a "stronger person", he added: "I accept the decision to suspend me for six months and impose a fine of £75,000. Those who run WPBSA have made it plain that if the sport is to advance it must be above reproach and those of us playing and involved in snooker must be cleaner than clean. "Those who know me will appreciate that I have tried to encourage and advance snooker. I have tried to be an ambassador for the sport." Describing the ordeal as "traumatic", Higgins said it had been "made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match." He added: "I have been sustained by the love and support of my wife, family and friends." However, the snooker star soon bounced back as he returned from his ban and won the World Championship for a fourth time in 2011. Childhood sweetheart wife Higgins has been married to his wife Denise since 2010, having met at school as teenagers. They have since welcomed three children - sons Pierce and Oliver and daughter Claudia - and they sometimes join their father at competitions, particularly major championships. While Denise tends to avoid the limelight, she has been a source of unwavering support for her husband throughout his career and has been present for some of his biggest moments as a professional. However, she missed out on seeing him win his 32nd ranking title at the World Open in March, as a logistical error meant she flew out to Hong Kong too late to watch him in action in the final. "It's just a shame, my missus is coming to Hong Kong and she's going to be flying tomorrow while I'll be playing the final," he told the Metro at the time. 'We didn't work that out right, she's getting on a flight today to Hong Kong, so hopefully when she lands I'll have a chance of winning the title.' Devastating family tragedy Higgins suffered heartbreak in February 2011 as his father John Sr passed away following a six-year battle with cancer. He had been competing at the German Masters in Berlin when he was told that his father's condition was deteriorating, leading him to immediately withdraw from the tournament and fly back to Glasgow. Tragically however, he was told of his dad's death as he prepared to board the flight alongside his brother Joe. John Sr had been told he had terminal cancer on the same day that his son was cleared of match-fixing allegations. After winning the UK Championship on his return to the sport, Higgins dedicated his victory to his late father, saying: "This is my finest hour. This is for my dad." The Scottish star also faced a family health scare ahead of this year's World Championship, withdrawing from the media day and skipping the annual pre-tournament festivities like the Champions Dinner and Green Carpet Ceremony after his father-in-law suffered a heart attack days before the opening round. After supporting his wife Denise, Higgins returned to Sheffield to clinch a 10-7 victory over Joe O'Connor in the opening round. Following that win, he was left in tears as he spoke to the BBC and needed consoling by presenter Seema Jaswal. "Obviously my father-in-law wasn't great," he said. "I was sitting having dinner with my boy last night and I was thinking about sitting here with my dad 25 years ago. I was drained today. Article continues below "I had a couple of hours sleep, I came out tonight feeling much better and definitely played a lot better. I am still so proud that I am still playing at a good level at this age."
