Snooker: Zhao Xintong produces commanding finish to beat John Higgins
World champion Zhao Xintong produced a commanding finish to beat John Higgins 10-7 and win the Players Championship in Telford. The snooker final saw the 28-year-old rally from 7-6 down, then win four straight frames to clinch his second straight ranking title.
Snooker final session turns tide
The match featured multiple momentum swings before Zhao moved clear. Higgins opened up a 2-0 lead in the first session, but Zhao drew level soon after. Zhao then went ahead for the first time to lead 4-3, only for Higgins to win the next frame with a score of 90 to even the contest.
Early momentum and frame scores
Frames continued to be traded into the evening session, with neither player able to establish a long run until the later stages. From 7-6 down Zhao took control, producing successive centuries as he went into the lead and then closing out the match with a run of four straight frames to finish 10-7.
Successive centuries sealed victory
Zhao's decisive sequence included successive centuries from 7-6 down and, in the words used to describe the final, a "virtuoso display of snooker". He also hit a fifth century to seal what was called a "ridiculously easy" final win, adding another clinical element to his finish.
Milestones and historical context
Zhao Xintong has won five ranking events. The 28-year-old's victory in Telford follows his triumph at the World Grand Prix earlier this month and marks his second straight ranking title. He becomes the fourth player to win all of his first five ranking finals, following Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson.
Higgins reaction and quotes
The result also prevented four-time world champion John Higgins, 50, from becoming the oldest winner of a ranking event. Scotland's Higgins praised Zhao after the match: "I'm sure my kids are lucky that they've watched somebody like Xintong because he is an absolute genius. " He added: "The last three frames there it was absolutely poetry in motion. I think he'll be the man to beat at the World Championship this year. "
Other noted moments
Earlier in the season there was also an incredible first frame between Wakelin and Zhao in the World Grand Prix clash, a separate moment that highlighted Zhao's form heading into this Players Championship win.
In short, Zhao produced a late-session surge built on high scoring and centuries to turn a close match into a 10-7 Players Championship victory in Telford, solidifying a run that now totals five ranking titles and cements a notable early record in ranking finals.
