Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship with a victory over Welshman and three-times winner Mark Williams at the Crucible Theatre on Monday, the latest chapter in Zhao’s remarkable rise and fall story.

Zhao Xintong’s breakthrough win at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield is set to usher in a bright new era of Chinese stars. Zhao is one of five Chinese players who have finished the season in the world’s top 16, and one of 14 currently inhabiting the world’s top 50 – all but three of whom are under the age of 30.

World Snooker Tour accept that the wording could have been clearer after Zhao Xintong’s ranking status caused confusion and anger among players. The Chinese star won the World Snooker Championship on Monday night,