World Championship 2025: Jimmy White likens 'magical' Zhao Xintong to Ronnie O'Sullivan and Tiger Woods as Crucible challenge gathers pace
By Alex Livie
Published 20/04/2025 at 21:29 GMT+1
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Zhao Xintong is back on the biggest stage following his return from suspension, and he has been tipped to go deep at The Crucible by many respected figures in the game. He made a bright start against Jak Jones, and impressed Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
White and O'Sullivan lavish praise on 'magical' Zhao
Video credit: TNT Sports
Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan have lavished praise on Zhao Xintong and the other nine Chinese players at this year’s World Championship.
Ding Junhui has led the charge for Chinese snooker since bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s.
He has had a resurgence this season with victory at the International Championship, and his efforts have inspired others to follow in his footsteps.
Zhao is one of the brightest talents, and is rebuilding his career after returning from his suspension for his part in a match-fixing scandal.
The 28-year-old made a bright start to his World Championship quest by taking a 7-2 lead against last season’s Crucible runner-up Jak Jones, in a match that will conclude on Monday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
It was a session of dominant snooker by Zhao, and White was deeply impressed.
"He had the situation where he did not play for a couple of years, but he is the best striker [of a cue ball] I think I have ever seen," White said in the TNT Sports studio.
"He is not slow, he floats round the table - his shot time is very quick - and he played snooker today like this fella does [White turned to O’Sullivan] when he is on top form.
"He was just magical."
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White likened the talent Zhao possesses to two of the greats of golf in Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods.
"Every now and again in sport you get people like Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, and in snooker you have got Ronnie O’Sullivan," White said. "Now this kid has come along.
"He is a phenomenal player, a phenomenal scorer, we just love everything about him."
O’Sullivan has been an advocate of the snooker scene in China for years, and is not surprised 10 players from the Asian nation are competing in Sheffield.
"This is the first season where some of the tournaments, the semi-finals, have been [dominated by] Chinese players," O’Sullivan said. "It is no coincidence that we have 10 very good Chinese players here.
"You used to have Ding and maybe one other, and the others were a bit hit and miss, but these are all proper players."
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Stream the 2025 World Championship live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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