Zhao Xintong triumphed in the World Grand Prix final, claiming his first ranking title since becoming world champion last May. The 28-year-old Chinese player edged out Zhang Anda 10-6, with a convincing display that showcased his impressive skills.
The high-quality contest was played in front of an appreciative home crowd at the Kai Tak Arena, which has a seating capacity of just 4,000. This event marked the third all-Chinese final in a ranking tournament, highlighting the growing strength and competitiveness of Chinese players in snooker.
Zhao's victory was his fifth century of the match, moving him up to seventh in the world rankings. The young player expressed relief after finding success, having struggled with consistency throughout the season. He attributed his improved form to non-ranking events, including winning the Riyadh Season Championship and making the last four at the Shanghai Masters.
Despite Zhang's valiant efforts, Zhao outplayed him in the final session, taking a 7-5 lead and sealing the win with a 131 clearance. This marked a fitting conclusion to a tournament that saw nine players from China reach the last 16, a testament to the country's burgeoning snooker talent.
For Zhang, who was chasing his second ranking title, it was a disappointing defeat after being on the brink of victory in the 13th frame. However, he will be buoyed by his performance and will look forward to building on his success in upcoming events.
Zhao Xintong's triumph marks an important milestone in his career, as he continues to push for top spot in the world rankings. With this win, he demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure and has set himself up for a strong finish to the season.
The high-quality contest was played in front of an appreciative home crowd at the Kai Tak Arena, which has a seating capacity of just 4,000. This event marked the third all-Chinese final in a ranking tournament, highlighting the growing strength and competitiveness of Chinese players in snooker.
Zhao's victory was his fifth century of the match, moving him up to seventh in the world rankings. The young player expressed relief after finding success, having struggled with consistency throughout the season. He attributed his improved form to non-ranking events, including winning the Riyadh Season Championship and making the last four at the Shanghai Masters.
Despite Zhang's valiant efforts, Zhao outplayed him in the final session, taking a 7-5 lead and sealing the win with a 131 clearance. This marked a fitting conclusion to a tournament that saw nine players from China reach the last 16, a testament to the country's burgeoning snooker talent.
For Zhang, who was chasing his second ranking title, it was a disappointing defeat after being on the brink of victory in the 13th frame. However, he will be buoyed by his performance and will look forward to building on his success in upcoming events.
Zhao Xintong's triumph marks an important milestone in his career, as he continues to push for top spot in the world rankings. With this win, he demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure and has set himself up for a strong finish to the season.
finally, someone else can take down Zhang Anda 
Zhao's century after century 
is getting old, but at least it's not boring 
4,000 people max at Kai Tak Arena is wild 
all Chinese final again? what's next, a Chinese cooking competition? 
It looks like it's not easy being on top, but Zhao Xintong proved that with hard work and determination you can achieve greatness! 
. chinese snooker is growing so fast, it's crazy to see 9 chinese players making it to the last 16 in one tournament 
. zhang anda put up a great fight tho 
. hope he bounces back from this loss and keeps pushing for more 
. zhao xintong's 131 clearance was insane! 
! He's clearly been working hard since becoming world champ last May and it's awesome to see him bring home that ranking title. The fact that all-Chinese finals are becoming a thing in these tournaments is super cool, shows how far Chinese players have come in terms of skill and consistency.
, the guy put up one heck of an effort! It's not always easy to bounce back from defeat, but I think he'll be just fine. The key is for him to learn from this experience and keep pushing himself. And Zhao, man... that 131 clearance was pure magic 
!
.
. And it's no surprise that he's been working on his form with all those non-ranking events, 'cause he definitely looks more confident now 
! Zhang Anda put up a great fight, but Zhao just edged him out. You can't fault anyone for not being satisfied with second place, though 
.
[ Image of a scoreboard with Zhao Xintong's name in bold letters, surrounded by Chinese characters for "world champion" ] 
Zhao Xintong is on fire right now! I mean, 5 centuries in one match? That's insane! He definitely deserved that win after all the hard work he put into it. Zhang Anda gave him a tough fight, but in the end, China's young guns just couldn't be beat. 
It's awesome to see Zhao finally break through and claim his first ranking title since becoming world champ. I'm loving this new era of Chinese snooker talent! 
Zhao Xintong totally deserved that win, but Zhang Anda was giving it everything out there... 4k crowd must've been hyped 
! Zhao Xintong's 1st ranking title since becoming world champ is well-deserved 
His win marks the beginning of a new era in Chinese snooker dominance 
Zhang Anda gave it his all, but Xintong's skills were just too much to handle 
The young king has finally found his throne 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to see a 28-year-old Chinese guy win his first ranking title in like, forever? 
What's also impressive is how these players are not just relying on raw skill but also on mental toughness and strategic gameplay. It's a great time to be a snooker fan! 
. And can we talk about how proud the Chinese crowd must've been watching their home boy take the win? 
. The fact that 9 out of 16 Chinese players made it to the last 16 is crazy - Chinese snooker is really coming up strong 
.