'Just like Ronnie O'Sullivan' - Ding Junhui names star who will 'take everything over' amid World Championship campaign

React to this story

Ding Junhui, widely regarded as China's snooker pioneer, has named one of his compatriots as a player who will "take everything over" in the future of the sport.

'Like Ronnie O'Sullivan' - Ding says Zhao will 'take everything over' in snooker

Video credit: TNT Sports

O'Sullivan is largely considered the greatest snooker player of all-time, and he enjoyed a dominant victory over He Guoqiang to set up a tantalising last-16 clash against fellow 'Class of 92' star John Higgins.

And Ding feels reigning world champion Zhao Xintong will rival the type of snooker dominance which saw 'The Rocket' storm to seven world titles since making his Crucible debut in 1993.

"Look now, it’s just like Ronnie O’Sullivan," Ding told TNT Sports when asked about Zhao. "New stars for snooker, I think in the future, he will take everything over."

Shanghai Masters

Wilson to renew rivalry with Trump in final after beating Zhao in thriller

01/08/2026 at 16:06

Zhao and Ding opened their second-round encounter at the Crucible on Friday afternoon, and played out a thrilling back-and-forth session which ended 4-4.

The second session of the match will be played on Saturday afternoon, with the third and final session coming on Sunday morning, with all the action live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

On the biggest stage the sport has to offer, the clash between the pair is one of the most highly-anticipated in Crucible history, particularly for fans in China.

"There will be quite a lot [of people watching]," Ding said. "All the snooker fans want to watch this, especially at the World Championships, every match has a lot of people watching."

But Zhao said he would avoid overthinking the pressure on him.

"I know everyone keeps eyes on the match, but I don’t think a lot, we can enjoy the snooker and have a good match," he said.

And the reigning champion did appear a particularly cool customer during the first of three sessions against his elder compatriot.

Zhao punishes Ding miscue to run home 'ridiculously easy' century

Video credit: TNT Sports

He has previously been compared to O'Sullivan for the effortless manner in which he navigates the baize, and that was once again evident with his breaks of 64 and 116 before the interval.

With his average shot time for those particular breaks hovering around the 15-second mark, Zhao appeared to banish all talk of the 'Crucible Curse', as he looks to become the first-time champion to successfully defend their title in Sheffield.

He capitalised on a couple of key Ding errors, notably when the 39-year-old left a free ball after a horrible miscue in the fourth frame, and later when he potted the cue ball in-off, having attempted an audacious pot rather than playing safe.

'Just so good' - Zhao pots two reds and finds position with stunning shot

Video credit: TNT Sports

Speaking in the TNT Sports studio, expert Alan McManus observed how the "presence" of Zhao had thrown Ding off his game.

"The only thing I would say about Ding in comparison to his round one win, he looked a lot more tense, because of the guy he’s playing against, and that is a concern," McManus said.

"It’s clear to see the presence of Xintong is having some effect on him. Whether he can overcome that, that’s going to be the fascination over the next couple of days. It’s an amazing game of snooker that one."