Zhao Xintong was delighted after sealing his spot within the 2025 World Snooker Championship draw with a 10-8 victory over Elliot Slessor on Tuesday.
The 28 year-old, competing as an novice as he continues his comeback from a controversial ban, held off a stern problem from the Englishman in Sheffield.
Zhao final participated on the Crucible Theatre in 2022 when he beat Jamie Clarke en path to a spot within the final 16.
The 2021 UK champion was discovered responsible of being concerned within the enormous Chinese language-led betting scandal that rocked the game quickly after, though he was cleared of the extra critical match-fixing expenses.
Since his return to aggressive motion, Zhao dominated the novice Q Tour, and by ending on the high of these rankings he has assured his return to skilled standing from subsequent season.
He’ll be hoping to finish this marketing campaign on the best of highs, although, with many contemplating him to be a darkish horse to go all the way in which to glory in Sheffield.
“I’m very comfortable,” Zhao Xintong, who compiled 12 centuries within the 4 matches he received on the qualifiers, instructed the World Snooker Tour.
“I do know that it’s very troublesome to get again to the Crucible, and I’ve completed it once more so I’m so pleased with myself.”
“Slessor is a very good opponent, and he performed very well tonight. He gave enormous stress for me, however I received. I used to be fortunate, and I’m simply so comfortable.
“I simply tried my finest to play snooker and take a look at each time to have a very good break – simply benefit from the desk time.
“Hopefully, I can actually come again to being a high participant. However I would like extra wins, so I simply attempt my finest.”
Zhao, a former world quantity six, will probably be a reputation that all the seeds will probably be determined to keep away from when the first-round draw is carried out on Thursday morning.
Elsewhere on the primary of two Judgement Days on the English Institute of Sport, Zhao’s fellow Chinese language competitor Zhou Yuelong additionally progressed.
There have been victories for former rating occasion winners Ryan Day, Chris Wakelin, and David Gilbert – the latter with a dramatic 10-9 defeat of Aaron Hill.
Ben Woollaston secured his return to the Crucible Theatre for the primary time in a dozen years with a routine conquer Ross Muir.
The largest upset on Tuesday noticed Daniel Wells pip Gary Wilson in a deciding body.
Wilson had missed out on automated qualification by just some thousand kilos, and the world quantity 17 was in the end made to pay for falling simply quick.
Wells will symbolize one of many Crucible debutants in 2025, as will Zak Surety who produced a positive show to thump Ricky Walden 10-3.
The World Open semi-finalist admitted that he was “attempting to not cry” after fulfilling a career-long ambition of qualifying for the game’s most prestigious event.
“I had a semi the opposite week in China, which was wonderful,” Surety mentioned, referencing his last-four look in Yushan the place he misplaced 6-5 to John Higgins.
“Nevertheless it was a devastating loss. I used to be pondering it may possibly’t occur once more – certainly it’s my flip – and fortunately it’s.”
The remaining eight Judgement Day matches happen on Wednesday.
2025 World Snooker Championship qualifiers
Judgement Day 1
Outcomes
Gary Wilson 9-10 Daniel Wells
Zhou Yuelong 10-5 Yuan Sijun
Ricky Walden 3-10 Zak Surety
Ross Muir 4-10 Ben Woollaston
Elliot Slessor 8-10 Zhao Xintong
Ryan Day 10-5 Sunny Akani
Martin O’Donnell 2-10 Chris Wakelin
David Gilbert 10-9 Aaron Hill
Judgement Day 2
Wednesday, April sixteenth at 11am and 5pm UTC+1
Wang Yuchen vs Hossein Vafaei
Michael Holt vs Fan Zhengyi
Joe O’Connor vs Jackson Web page
Jamie Jones vs Pang Junxu
Matthew Stevens vs Wu Yize
Gao Yang vs Lei Peifan
Matthew Selt vs Jimmy Robertson
He Guoqiang vs Ali Carter
Featured picture credit score: WST
