World Championship 2025: Zhao Xintong battles back to stay on course for Crucible spot with win over Long Zehuang as Joe Perry keeps dream alive
Updated 11/04/2025 at 08:33 GMT+1
Zhao Xintong was pushed hard by compatriot Long Zehuang before scrambling over the line 10-8 in the second round of World Championship qualifying in Sheffield. The former UK and German Masters champion, playing under amateur status before his return to the main professional circuit next season, trailed 5-4 after the morning session before showing his class to complete a battling comeback win.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Zhao Xintong moved within two wins of a place in the final stages of the World Championship with a battling 10-8 victory over compatriot Long Zehuang at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
World No. 61 Long produced 132 to level up at 4-4 before claiming the ninth frame to lead 5-4 after the morning session, but former UK champion Zhao found top gear in the evening session as runs of 77, 84, 59, 51 and 122 saw him lead 9-5 in the race to 10.
He had earlier compiled knocks of 69, 100, 53, 50 and 74 to lead 4-3 after trailing 2-0 and 3-2.
Long was not finished when he fell four frames behind as he responded with breaks of 51, 72 and 56, closing the gap to one frame at 9-8, but Zhao held his nerve to see out the match with a classy closing knock of 70.
His reward is a meeting with Lyu Haotian in the last 80 over two sessions on Sunday as he closes in on a return to the sport's biggest stage.
Only Alex Higgins (1972), Terry Griffiths (1979) and Shaun Murphy (2005) have come through qualifying to claim the sport's most coveted title, with Welshman Jak Jones reaching the final last year as a qualifier before losing 18-14 to 12th seed Kyren Wilson at the Crucible.
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Xintong makes fourth century of match with clinical 141 break
Video credit: TNT Sports
Zhao was ranked world No. 6 before he was banned for 20 months after his involvement in a match-fixing probe in 2023, but has been invited to chase the £500,000 first prize after booking his return to the main circuit as an amateur via a first-placed finish on the Q Tour Europe ranking list.
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Meanwhile, former Crucible semi-finalist Marco Fu showed qualities with a heavy-scoring 10-4 win over Ben Mertens.
Breaks of 66, 57, 139, 60, 87, 138 and 56 saw the Hong Kong player lead 8-1 from the morning session before seeing out the match by winning the 14th frame after his Belgian opponent rolled in 64 and 86 to keep the match alive.
The three-time ranking event winner – who became only the seventh player in history to complete a 16-red total clearance with his 139 in the fourth frame – will next take on Elliot Slessor over two sessions on Sunday.
There was also a 10-6 win for former Welsh Open champion Joe Perry against Dylan Emery.
Perry is planning to retire from the sport after the World Championship, but provided samples of his scoring power in hitting super knocks of 134 and 129 on his way to reeling off the final five frames from 6-5 behind and a meeting with Yuan Sijun on Saturday.
"I’ve officially retired. As soon as my participation in this event is over, my time as a professional snooker player is up," said Perry on the World Snooker Tour.
"I’m trying as hard as ever out there. If I can play my last match at the Crucible, that would be wonderful. If it ends up being here, then that is what it is. It is going to be tough.
"The players are so good these days and the standard is tough. When I’m around, I have a chance.
"My debut at the Crucible was very memorable, to win 10-9 on the black against a legend like Steve Davis [in 1999]. Getting to the one-table setup in 2008 was good. I also beat Mark Selby when he was defending champion [in 2018].
"The orange powder protest is one that springs to mind, but that was a bad memory. I’ve seen a lot at the Crucible, and I’ve enjoyed my time."
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