Hey there, sports fans! Have you heard about the exciting news from the World Snooker Championship? Let me tell you all about it!
Zhao Xintong, a 28-year-old snooker player from China, just made history! 🌟 He became the first amateur player to reach the second round of the World Snooker Championship after defeating last year’s finalist Jak Jones 10-4. Isn’t that incredible?
But wait, there’s more! Zhao will now face his fellow countryman, Lei Peifan, in the next round. This means we’ll have an all-China match to look forward to! 🎉
Zhao’s journey hasn’t been easy. He was banned from playing for 20 months because he broke betting rules. But now, he’s back and playing as an amateur. Even though he’s not a professional right now, he’s showing everyone that he’s still got amazing skills. He’ll return to the professional circuit next season.
Did you know that snooker is a game played on a big table with pockets, using 22 colored balls and a cue stick? Players have to hit the balls into the pockets in a certain order to score points. It’s a bit like pool, but with more rules and strategy!
After his big win, Zhao said that playing in the qualifiers helped him get back in shape. “This match was about regaining confidence,” he said. “Every match I play now is very important.”
Lei Peifan, who Zhao will play next, also had a huge win. He beat the 2024 champion, Kyren Wilson! Both Zhao and Lei are playing amazingly well, so their upcoming match is sure to be exciting. Who do you think will win? 🤔
In fact, there are now at least four Chinese players in the last 16 of the championship—a new record! 🇨🇳 This shows how talented the players from China are and how the sport is growing there.
In other matches, Mark Allen beat Fan Zhengyi 10-6, and Mark Williams made a great comeback to win against Wu Yize 10-8. Xiao Guodong also won his match against Matt Selt 10-4. And guess what? Ding Junhui is leading 6-3 against Zak Surety in their match!
It’s an exciting time for snooker fans all over the world. Keep an eye on the matches, and let’s cheer for our favorite players! 🏆
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
