Former winner Zhao Xintong receives UK Championship invite following return from ban

Zhao, who is now 27-years-old, was one of ten Chinese professional players who were part of the match-fixing scandal that came out during the 2022/23 season.

It was judged that Zhao had been 'a party to another player fixing two snooker matches' and that he 'bet on snooker matches in breach of the rules.'

The ten players involved received varying punishments depending on their offences, but due to an early admission and a guilty plea, Zhao's sentence of one year and eight months was the shortest of the ten.

This ban issued by the sport’s governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), ended on September 1st, meaning Zhao could return to major competition. However, as he had lost his professional status and place on the World Snooker Tour during his absence, the Chinese cueist returned as an amateur and has to win his tour card back in order to compete full time once again on the professional circuit.

One way Zhao can achieve this is through the WPBSA Q Tour - a series of amateur events open to all players across the world - that offers multiple professional tour cards.

Zhao returned to the baize for this season's event two in Bulgaria where he lost in the last 64 to Craig Steadman. However, a few weeks later in Stockholm, Zhao ousted Steadman 4-3 in the final to take the title and push himself up the rankings and into contention for a tour card at the end of the season.

En route to the title in the Swedish capital, Zhao also compiled a maximum 147 break.

Because of this victory, Zhao is one of several amateur players who have been rewarded with an invitation to the 2024 UK Championship qualifiers which take place in Leicester between November 16-21.

Selected by the WPBSA, these players will join their professional counterparts in round one qualifying of the prestigious Triple Crown event, meaning they need to win four consecutive matches in order to reach the televised stages in York at the end of the month.

Zhao's big breakthrough in the sport came at this exact event in 2021, when he sensationally came through the field, defeating Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final to land the top prize and his first ranking event title.

The result put him in the world's top 16 rankings for the first time, and just a few months later, he secured his second ranking event crown at the 2022 German Masters when he whitewashed compatriot Yan Bingtao - another player involved in the match-fixing scandal - 9-0 in the Berlin final.

The draw for the UK Championship qualifiers is expected to be released soon after the completion of the ongoing International Championship in Nanjing.

Amongst the other amateur players to receive invites include Andres Petrov and Dylan Emery - winners of the opening two UK/Europe Q Tour events this season. A full list of amateur invites can be found here on the WPBSA website.