Snooker: 'Genius' Zhao beats Higgins to win Players Championship
Zhao Xintong produced a commanding finish to beat John Higgins 10-7 and win the Players Championship in Telford, a snooker victory that capped his fifth ranking event success and his second straight ranking title.
Snooker final swung late as Zhao ran four straight frames
With the match level at 7-6, world champion Zhao took control by winning four consecutive frames to turn the contest in his favour and close out a 10-7 win. He produced successive centuries from 7-6 down, the latter of which was his fifth century of the match, and then saw out the final with relative ease.
Early session saw momentum trade frequently
The first session featured multiple swings of momentum: Higgins opened a 2-0 lead before Zhao drew level. Zhao went ahead for the first time to lead 4-3, but Higgins then won the next frame with a score of 90 to even the contest. The pair continued to trade frames into the evening session before Zhao moved ahead for good.
What the win means for Zhao and Higgins
The 28-year-old's victory follows his triumph at the World Grand Prix earlier this month and marks his fifth ranking event win. Zhao becomes the fourth player to win all of his first five ranking finals, following Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson. His win also prevented John Higgins, 50 and a four-time world champion, from becoming the oldest winner of a ranking event.
Higgins paid tribute after the match, saying: "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. "
Highlights, phrases and wider headlines
The match drew praise as a "virtuoso display of snooker" — Zhao hit a fifth century to seal what was described as a "ridiculously easy" final win — and highlights packages pointed viewers back to an "incredible first frame between Wakelin and Zhao" from the World Grand Prix. Other headlines seen alongside coverage included "Zhao Triumphs In Telford" and "Zhao celebrates 'dream' win over Higgins at Players Championship". Additional distinct headlines from the same bulletin read: "Benfica's Prestianni gets provisional one-match ban", "I almost lost my leg after crash, says Vonn", "What could Mexico cartel violence mean for World Cup?", "The Bafta-winning documentary everyone is talking about", "Explore neurodivergent minds and how noise shapes daily life", "What draws Sweden's players to England's Women's Super League?" and "Five talking points from round three of Six Nations".
Higgins's praise and Zhao's run of results leave the World Championship as the next prominent event mentioned in the aftermath: Higgins said he thinks Zhao "will be the man to beat at the World Championship this year. "
