Maximum man Zhao Xintong wins Q Tour snooker title in Sweden

Two-time ranking event winner Zhao was suspended and later banned from the World Snooker Tour during the 2022/23 season for his part in the well-documented match-fixing scandal that involved several Chinese professional players.

The 27-year-old's ban expired at the start of September, meaning he was clear to enter WPBSA-organised amateur events with a view to regain his professional status. Zhao made his competitive return last month at the Q Tour Event Two in Sofia, Bulgaria where he lost in the last 64 to Craig Steadman via a deciding frame.

Open to all amateur players, the Q Tour provides a pathway to snooker's top tier, with the number one ranked player following the seven events held throughout the campaign earning a guaranteed two-year card for the professional tour.

For those who just miss out on top spot, there is another route to next season’s WST through the end-of-season Global Q Tour Playoffs where three more tour cards are on offer. This event features the best performing cueists from all the Q Tour series around the world.

The latest event on the 2024/25 UK/Europe Q Tour took place at the Snookerhallen in Stockholm, Sweden. As a non-seed, Zhao had to start on Friday in the opening rounds where he defeated Daan Leyssen and Michał Kotiuk, both 3-0, to reach the last 64 where the seeded players began their challenges.

Zhao then wrote headlines during his match with 14-year-old Shaun Liu in round three, compiling a 147 break in the final frame of a 4-1 victory. It was the first time that perfection had been achieved on the Q Tour.

The former top 16 star subsequently registered runs of 111 and 128 in a 4-1 defeat of Luke Pinches to make the last 16 stage on Sunday.

On that final day, Zhao top scored with 118 as he eliminated Peter Lines 4-1 before back-to-back 4-0 whitewashes over Nicolas Mortreux (125 break) and Mateusz Baranowski (108 break) in the quarter and semi-finals respectively. It meant that Zhao had relinquished just three frames in seven matches en route to the showpiece fixture.

In the final, Zhao faced fellow ex-professional Steadman in a rerun of their meeting from event two. During a high-quality and entertaining title match, a break of 112 put Zhao one up before he doubled his lead with frame two.

Steadman responded, taking the next two frames to level. A 136 from Zhao - his eighth century of the tournament - put him on the hill first, although his 42-year-old opponent forced the encounter all the way courtesy of a 93 break in frame six.

However, Zhao was not to be denied the title and £3,000 top prize as he made a contribution of 82 in the deciding frame.

Zhao still has plenty to do in order to top the rankings come the end of the season - especially having had to miss the opening event back in the summer in Leeds, England - but he is likely to be the firm favourite to do this if he continues to participate in the remaining events.

His triumph in the Swedish capital could also potentially pave a way for him to compete at the UK Championship next month.

As the current format of the UK Championship features 144 players - more spaces than those who have professional tour cards - top performing amateur players have been invited to fill the remaining spaces in recent editions.

At the 2023 UK Championship, the winners of the first three UK/Europe Q Tour events were all invited to snooker's second most prestigious ranking event, starting off in the first of four qualifying rounds before the main televised stages in York.

An announcement is yet to be published as to what the selection criteria for amateur invites will be for the 2024 event, but it is possible that Zhao could be in line for one.

There would be a sense of irony should Zhao be awarded an invite to the upcoming UK Championship - the event that he made his huge breakthrough in just under three years ago with success against Luca Brecel in the final.