Zhao Xintong produced a stunning display of attacking snooker to defeat his idol Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 and reach the World Snooker Championship final. The Chinese qualifier, who came through four rounds to reach the Crucible, overwhelmed the seven-time champion with a session to spare.
O'Sullivan, who had struggled with his cue after snapping it earlier this year, changed his tip and ferrule during the match but could not contain Zhao's brilliance. The 24-year-old made breaks of 112, 115 and 87 as he won 12 of the last 13 frames. 'I can't believe it. Thank you to Ronnie, he helped me a lot before. He's my idol,' Zhao said.
O'Sullivan, gracious in defeat, admitted his form had been poor. 'I don't even know where the white ball's going. I'm at a loss,' he said. 'Sometimes you've got to try something different. It didn't feel great before so I tried to go back to the old brass ferrule.'
Zhao will face either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in the final on Sunday and Monday. The pair were locked at 8-8 in their semi-final after Williams fought back from 5-3 down. Zhao's victory has reignited talk of a first Chinese world champion, with only Ding Junhui reaching the final before, in 2016.
Commentator John Virgo praised Zhao's performance. 'Scintillating snooker. What a player. What a future he's got in the game. To do this to Ronnie O'Sullivan, it's a phenomenal performance. Changing of the guard maybe, right here, right now,' he said.
