Zhao Xintong Stuns Higgins With Late Blitz to Win Players Championship
Zhao Xintong has delivered a statement to the snooker world and he did it against one of the sport’s greatest names.
In a gripping Players Championship final in Telford, the reigning world champion surged past four-time world champion John Higgins with a ruthless late burst, sealing a 10-7 victory that felt as dramatic as it was decisive. For much of the night, this contest was balanced on a knife edge. Frame for frame, break for break, neither man was willing to blink.
Higgins, at 50 years old, showed all the composure and tactical brilliance that have defined his legendary career. He pushed Zhao deep, trading frames and capitalizing on small errors. At one stage, Zhao trailed 7-6. The momentum appeared to be shifting. The veteran sensed an opportunity to become the oldest ranking event winner in history.
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But champions respond under pressure and that is exactly what Zhao Xintong did.
From that 7-6 deficit, Zhao elevated his game to another level. He produced a sequence of heavy breaks, including back-to-back centuries, that simply took the match away from Higgins. The final frames were not scrappy. They were clinical. Confident. Almost artistic. Zhao closed the door by winning four frames in a row, leaving no route back for his opponent.
This victory marks his second straight ranking title, following his recent triumph at the World Grand Prix. Even more impressive, Zhao has now won all five of his ranking finals. That places him in rare company and underlines just how quickly he is building a legacy at only 28 years old.
Why does this matter? Because the World Championship is looming. And if this performance is any indication, Zhao is not just a defending champion. He is the man everyone else will be watching. His scoring power, his composure under fire and his ability to shift gears late in matches make him a formidable force.
For Higgins, there is pride in the performance but also frustration. He proved he can still compete at the highest level. But on this night, brilliance met momentum.
Snooker is entering a fascinating phase. Established legends are still dangerous, but a new generation is not waiting its turn. Zhao’s latest title reinforces that shift.
Stay with us for continuing coverage as the road to the World Championship heats up and as the sport’s biggest names prepare for what promises to be a defining stretch of the season.
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