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Emerging talent Zhao Xintong is targeting a controversial Crucible title following recent eye surgery.
Just a day after three-time world champion Mark Williams shared news of his lens replacement surgery, the part-time player from China announced that he underwent corrective eye surgery during his break from the sport.
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Xintong, 28, is currently the third favorite to win the championship with odds at 9-2, behind Judd Trump and Mark Selby. He is set to face debutant Lei Peifan in the second round.
Nonetheless, a significant concern is the 20-month suspension he faced due to betting violations linked to a match-fixing scandal involving nine other players.
Xintong recorded a 142 break in the fifth frame during his 10-4 win over last year’s runner-up, Jak Jones, stating: “For two years, I had no competitive play.
“However, I continued to practice and underwent laser surgery because, despite winning the UK Championship and the German Masters, my vision wasn’t clear.
“Now I can see everything, and I believe I’m in a better position than I was two years ago.
“I’m really happy that people feel I can win it, but I will just focus on doing my best. I’ve played four qualifying matches, which boosts my confidence.”
Jones, 31, commented: “Xintong is a top-16 player who came through the qualifiers, and his sharpness was apparent.
“He put a lot of pressure on me, and beating him will be challenging.
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“I don’t see anyone playing better than him at the moment. His long potting is exceptional, and his scoring and tactics are on point.”
“I believe he is the strongest competitor in the tournament.”
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No. 8 seed Mark Allen moved to round two for the 14th time in 19 attempts, overcoming qualifier Fan Zhengyi 10-6 after rallying from a 3-0 deficit.
The Pistol, who made breaks of 105 and 102, is now scheduled to play Chris Wakelin on Thursday afternoon.
List of All-Time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a chronological list of snooker World Champions.
This record pertains to the modern era, generally recognized from the 1968-69 season when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took command of the sport.
The inaugural World Championships were held from 1927, with interruptions from 1941-45 due to World War II and from 1958-63 due to a sport-related dispute.
Joe Davis (15 titles), Fred Davis, and John Pulman (both 8 titles) were the most accomplished players of that era.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan currently share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
