Zhao Xintong names the players he’s ‘studying’ in search for snooker perfection
Zhao Xintong is aiming to be world number one for a long time and has picked out some rivals to study from in order to achieve that.
The Cyclone rose to the top of the world rankings for the first time last month, ending Judd Trump’s two-year reign as number one.
The 2025 world champion became just the 13th player to top the rankings since they came into existence in 1975 and the second from China to do so.
Zhao only returned to the professional tour full-time last year after a ban, so has climbed the mountain incredibly quickly, admitting he did not think that was on the cards.
‘I know before last season, if I think I would be number one I think it’s very crazy,’ Zhao told Metro. ‘But now I’ve done it I feel it, I’m getting better.
‘But I know I’m not the best one. I have a long way to go to be better.’
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It’s a scary thought that Zhao could get significantly better, but he reckons he can, if he can learn more on shot selection from some former world number ones, including Trump, who he faces at the British Open on Friday evening.
‘Experience,’ he said on what he needs to improve. ‘Because I know playing snooker, the experience is very important.
‘Sometimes I play some stupid shot in an important game that I know John Higgins, Mark Selby or Judd Trump will never do those mistakes. I know for myself, the mental game, this part I can do better.
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‘I will still go for my style. I just try to study from Judd Trump. He and Mark Selby were world number one for a very long time.
‘I don’t just want a few days or a few weeks to be world number one, I want a lot longer, so I have a long way to go and I just try to study them, but also I will keep my style.’
Zhao is leading a trio of thrilling young Chinese players who look set to win plenty of tournaments in the coming years, with world champion Wu Yize and recent Wuhan Open winner Chang Bingyu producing fantastic snooker.
The world number one feels his compatriots face the same challenge as him, just needing to add more experience to their arsenals.
‘We know now that young Chinese players play really, really well,’ said Zhao. ‘He [Chang] also has the same style as me: really, really attacking.
‘But we still don’t have really good experience for the important games. I think we have to learn that and have a long way to go.
‘If they win more tournaments and more games, I think they will be better.’
Zhao takes on Trump at 7pm in the British Open quarter-finals, in the same session as Jak Jones vs Aaron Hill.
In the afternoon Mark Selby plays Jack Lisowski and Stan Moody meets Liam Highfield for a place in the semis at 1pm.
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