Stephen Hendry issues praise and prediction as he names Zhao Xintong 'man to beat' at UK Championship

Zhao was enduring a largely disappointing campaign whilst wearing the sport’s ultimate crown but headed to Saudi Arabia in good form after making semi-finals in consecutive weeks at the International Championship and Champion of Champions.

And on his debut in Riyadh, it clicked for the 28-year-old history-maker as he defeated former world champions Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump, and Neil Robertson in successive rounds to claim his fourth professional title - his first invitational accolade - and pocket the £250,000 first prize.

Thirty-six-time ranking event winner Hendry was in the Middle East working on the television presentation of the tournament, and the Scotsman was very impressed with the way Zhao got the better of world number three Robertson in the final.

“When he won the world title, whenever he got in front he just went away from his opponents, he didn’t sort of hold back and that’s the sign of a true champ. Somebody who really, really wants to dominate their opponent” said Hendry.

“It’s what all the best have and separates the best from the rest, the ones who don’t shy away from the winning line, the ones that just press ahead and get over it.

“He’s the best ball striker I’ve ever seen playing snooker and I’m including everyone in that from the O’Sullivans to the Selbys to the Trumps; everyone. No one has struck the ball as pure as Zhao Xintong and I think he’s the future of snooker, for the next, as long as he wants to play - the next 20 years?”

Next up for Zhao is the 2025 UK Championship at the Barbican Centre in York (November 29 to December 7) where his opening round assignment will be against a qualifier on the afternoon of Monday, December 1.

It’s a venue and an event he has already tasted glory at; he won his maiden ranking title there in 2021 when he denied Luca Brecel in the final.

Given his current form and previous success at the Triple Crown event, Hendry believes that Zhao is the player to watch out for there: “He’s going to York now, a place where he’s already won the UK Championship before, he’s going with a win under his belt, his first win as World Champion which must feel amazing to him. He’s going to be the man to beat there.

The strength and depth of the World Snooker Tour is arguably the most notable it has ever been; four-time world champion Mark Selby seemed to think so a few months back in an interview.

A total of 14 maximum 147 breaks have been compiled this season, so far, and incredibly, Zhao becomes the 11th different winner from as many competitions this term.

Main presenter Matt Smith asked Hendry on his thoughts about the openness of the circuit at the moment.

“It’s interesting to see who the next person is to sort of take snooker by the scruff of the neck” said Hendry.

Quizzed on whether he felt that Zhao could be the player to enjoy a sustained spell of success, the former world number one responded: “It depends on a lot of things. You’ve got to completely dedicate your life to being the best, and winning and winning and winning. And it depends if he’s that kind of person; not everyone can do it.

“It’s quite tough actually, you’ve got to make a lot of sacrifices, whether he can do that or not remains to be seen, but he’s going to win a lot of titles.

“I think this season he’ll probably win, I would think, another couple of times, because he’s got that title now as World Champion. I think he’ll move on from here”.