Snooker has a new world champion—yet for Wales, the 2025 World Championship final was just as much a tribute to past greatness as it was the crowning of a new era.
Zhao Xintong made history on Monday night, becoming the first player from China to win the World Snooker Championship, sealing a commanding 18-12 victory over Welsh icon Mark Williams at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
But for all the headlines Zhao rightly earns, it was Williams—Wales’ three-time champion and the Crucible’s oldest-ever finalist at 50—who reminded the world what poise, longevity and grit look like on snooker’s grandest stage.
Trailing 11-6 overnight, the task facing the Cwm cueman was monumental. By Monday afternoon, Zhao had tightened his grip with a near-flawless display, extending his lead to 17-8. Yet, as ever with Williams, the story wasn’t over.
Willed on by a Crucible crowd alive with nostalgia and possibility, Williams mounted a spirited charge in the evening session. He rattled in breaks of 101, 96, and 73 in quick succession, winning four straight frames to echo the ghosts of 1985’s iconic black-ball final. A repeat of Dennis Taylor’s improbable comeback against Steve Davis suddenly didn’t feel so far-fetched.
But Zhao, composed and steely beyond his years, was not to be rattled. After sitting largely out of play for a sizeable stretch, he returned to the table and coolly compiled an 87 to end the contest—his 47th win in 49 matches this season.
“This is very exciting. I can’t believe what I’ve done,” Zhao told the BBC, admitting nerves against a player he respectfully called “the best.” And while the achievement is undeniably historic, the path has been anything but conventional.
Just a year ago, Zhao was serving a 20-month suspension after being implicated in a match-fixing investigation—not for fixing matches himself, but for being complicit in others’ wrongdoing and betting violations. His return has been remarkable, not only for his play but for how quickly he’s reclaimed elite form.
Over 29 gruelling days, Zhao battled through four qualifying rounds and 111 frames in total to reach the final—a rare feat. He now joins Welsh great Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as only the third qualifier to lift the title since the tournament moved to Sheffield in 1977. He also becomes the first amateur champion at the Crucible, though he will now return to the professional circuit ranked 11th in the world and £500,000 richer.
Yet through the noise of history, controversy, and records, Wales will rightly focus on what Williams has once again shown: unwavering class. Six weeks into his sixth decade, he not only reached another final but reminded fans why he remains one of the most beloved and formidable competitors in the game. That rally in the evening session wasn’t just technical excellence—it was the kind of mental strength and flair that defines a champion, regardless of the scoreboard.
For Welsh snooker, Williams’ run rekindles national pride. His career, which spans three decades, continues to set standards that go beyond trophies. In an increasingly global sport, Mark Williams remains a timeless Welsh talisman.
