‘Like a young Ronnie O’Sullivan’ – Mark Williams pays tribute to ‘frightening’ Zhao Xintong after stunning Crucible win

SNOOKER icon Mark Williams compared new world champion Zhao Xintong to a “young Ronnie O’Sullivan” following his Crucible win on Monday.

Zhao beat Williams 18-12 in the World Snooker Championship final ealier this week.

ReutersMark Williams praised Zhao Xintong following the 28-year-old’s World Snooker Championship win[/caption]

GettyZhao became the first player from China to win the world title on Monday[/caption]

GettyXhao was compared to a young Ronnie O’Sullivan[/caption]

In doing so, he became the first player from China to win the title.

Williams did not shy away from praising the 28-year-old after the match and even compared him to a legend of the game.

The Welshman said: “He’s close to as good to watch as O’Sullivan when he was younger

“He just walks around the table as if he’s just walking to go to the toilet or something.

“He’s just strolling. Pots from anywhere. Walks around not a care in the world.

“Two minutes later he’s on 65. Gee whizz! He’s got to sixty like that. Frightening.

“He goes for his shots and he got most of them in the final. Really tough shots.

“They don’t go in all the time and when they don’t go in it looks a bit erratic. But when they go in, you don’t want to be on the other side of him, that’s for sure.”

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Asked if Zhao could match the numbers achieved by O’Sullivan, Williams continued: “No. I don’t think anyone will ever challenge them records because the standard is too good to get that many Worlds and Masters and UKs, it’s too tough.

“Who knows? But it will be highly unlikely.”

Until September last year, Zhao served a 20-month ban for his involvement in match fixing.

He did NOT fix a result himself but an independent commission found “he was a party to another player” fixing two snooker matches.

In a separate charge, Zhao was found to have “bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules” between September 2019 and December 2022.

Yet “following early admissions” and by showing “genuine remorse for his actions” a 30-month suspension was reduced to 20 months, the lightest ban of all the ten cueists involved.

Williams praised Zhao for his triumphant return to the sport following his ban.

He continued: “To do what he’s done, he’s been out for two years, come back on the Q Tour, pretty much won every game.

“Gone to qualifying, bashed everyone up. Come here and bashed everyone up in the main tournament.

“It’s an incredible achievement. It’s unbelievable. I haven’t got enough nice words to say about him. He’s brilliant to watch, pots for fun, makes breaks and good luck to him.”