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Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan shows true colours as he speaks out about snooker finalist's 20-month ban
Zhao Xintong was one of 10 Chinese snooker players banned for their roles in a match-fixing ring - and Ronnie O'Sullivan has had his say ahead of the World Championship final Seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has voiced his sympathy for Zhao Xintong and suggested his 20-month match-fixing suspension was harsh. The snooker icon hope of securing an eighth world title at the Crucible unravelled following a hefty 17-7 semi-final defeat by the talented Chinese star on Friday. Zhao made his comeback in September 2024 after a lengthy hiatus, having been punished as part of a match-fixing scandal that involved nine other Chinese players. Zhao was handed the lightest of the 10 punishments by the WPBSA but was nonetheless judged as part of one of the biggest scandals to hit snooker. The 28-year-old was found in breach of "being party to another player fixing two matches," as well as gambling on snooker matches. In addition to his suspension, he was also slapped with a £7,500 bill to cover costs. Despite the evidence put forward, O'Sullivan suggested the sanction applied to Zhao and others seemed somewhat severe. And with Zhao set to win his first World Championship final against Mark Williams on Sunday, 'The Rocket' discussed his views openly prior to facing Zhao in the semi-final. "Yeah, I think it was unfortunate for some of the boys," said O'Sullivan before the semi-final clash (per the Daily Express). "I think they wasn't really involved in it from what I gather. So some of them, you just think, it was really harsh for them. "There's some there that obviously were at it. And I think for some of them, it was a bit unfair. Maybe, I don't know. "I don't know the full facts of it, to be honest with you. But from what I heard, was just caught in the firing line and a bit [of] naivety, I suppose." Zhao has bounced back impressively from his snooker suspension and is now tantalisingly close to the Crucible title. His journey to the World Championship final has been marked by a series of commanding performances. 'The Cyclone' has won over fans after beating O'Sullivan, Chris Wakelin, Lei Peifan and Jak Jones on his way to the Crucible. And after attracting negative attention in light of his ban, many fans are now rooting for the Asian star to triumph in Sheffield. O'Sullivan, 49, has been a guiding force for Zhao and often acted as a mentor to the rising star. They've shared many sessions practising at Victoria's Academy in Sheffield, and touching images emerged showing the pair sharing a backstage embrace after Friday's semi. After his win, Zhao showed great sportsmanship and encouraged the audience at the Crucible to applaud O'Sullivan despite the one-sided match. Ever the gentleman, The Rocket downplayed his role and focusied the attention on Zhao's achievement. "I know we've got a really nice relationship, I'm always trying to help him if I can," he said post-match. "He wanted the crowd to give me a clap at the end but it was Zhao's moment, I tried to get off as quickly as I could because it was his moment to enjoy."
Metro
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Ronnie O'Sullivan speaks out on Zhao Xintong's ban and their work together
Ronnie O'Sullivan has hailed 'phenomenal player' Zhao Xintong ahead of their World Snooker Championship semi-final and suggested his ban from snooker was 'a bit unfair'. The pair meet for a place in the Crucible final, with O'Sullivan in his 14th World Championship semi-final and Zhao in his first. The Rocket has long been a big fan of the Chinese star's game, becoming something of a mentor to him in the past, working together in practice at Victoria's Academy in Sheffield. 'He's a phenomenal player, a phenomenal player,' O'Sullivan said of Zhao. 'He's only going to get better and stronger. Yeah, a great, great talent.' Zhao's career was on a spectacular upwards trajectory after winning the 2021 UK Championship and 2022 German Masters, but in January 2023 he was suspended from the sport as part of a match-fixing investigation. In June in that year he was given a 20-month ban for being concerned in fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker. That ban ended in September 2024 and Zhao returned to the amateur game, romping through the Q Tour and quickly winning back his place on the professional circuit. He has returned to the Crucible at the earliest opportunity after winning four qualifying games and has now picked up three more wins to reach the semis. 'Yeah, amazing, really,' O'Sullivan said of Zhao's spectacular return. 'I'm not surprised what he done in Q Tour. I'm not surprised he dominated that. 'But obviously coming through the qualifiers, some fantastic players and coming here at the Crucible and doing what he's done, it's incredible, really.' Unlike other players who were banned as part of the match-fixing scandal, the 28-year-old was not found guilty of fixing matches himself, which meant his ban was relatively short. O'Sullivan admits he is not especially well educated on the details of the investigation, but does feel that Zhao was unlucky with his punishment. 'Yeah, I think it was unfortunate for some of the boys,' said the Rocket. 'I think they wasn't really involved in it from what I gather. So some of them, you just think, it was really harsh for them. 'There's some there that obviously were at it. And I think for some of them, it was a bit unfair. Maybe, I don't know. 'I don't know the full facts of it to be honest with you. But from what I heard, was just caught in the firing line and a bit naivety, I suppose.' Before his ban from the game, O'Sullivan worked with Zhao in practice at his Sheffield base, which the Rocket was talked into but enjoyed. Explaining how it came about, O'Sullivan said: 'Ah, Victoria, she's always at me, 'can you help my players? Can you do this? Can you do that?' 'So I was like, she's such a nice woman. She's so good with all the Chinese players. She's so good for snooker. She's been great help with me with certain things. So I couldn't say no. 'And I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. It's always nice to share your knowledge with other players and see if you can help them, then great.' O'Sullivan has been Zhao's hero since he was a boy first getting involved in the game, so his first Crucible semi-final will be a huge occasion for him. 'If I play with Ronnie I'm very happy because he's my idol,' he said. 'When I was very young I got a lot of videos of him. I'd be very happy to play with him in the semi-final, it's a good match.' On the compliments O'Sullivan has paid him over his career, he said: 'I need to say big thanks to Ronnie because he helped me really well. Big thank you to him. Sometimes he talked about me, it's good news. It made me very happy and gave me some power to play snooker. 'He's my favourite player. He plays very nice snooker and looks so good. Everything is so easy. He's my idol and we are good friends.' The semi-final clash gets underway on Thursday afternoon, played over four sessions and coming to a close on Saturday afternoon. MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan names his favourite ahead of World Snooker Championship semi-finals MORE: Judd Trump is 'probably the best ever,' says Luca Brecel: 'There's no one better' MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan 'playing awful' and 'lucky' to be in World Championship semi-final
