China's Zhao Xintong reaches maiden World Snooker Championship semi-final

The 28-year-old from China has now won seven consecutive matches in this year’s blue riband event and is set to experience the one-table set-up in Sheffield for the first time in his career when he features in the semi-finals later this week.

Zhao currently doesn’t hold a professional tour card, and is competing in the Championship as an invited amateur player. He already made history earlier in the tournament, as no amateur had previously made it to the last eight.

The former UK Champion was banned from the circuit in 2023 for his part in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport, which resulted in 10 Chinese players being issued with varying degrees of punishment.

However, Zhao - who was found not to have actually fixed matches himself - returned to action last September following the expiration of his ban and since topped the Q Tour rankings - snooker’s secondary circuit - winning back his professional stripes for next season (2025/26).

Due to his performances on the international amateur scene within the past 12 months, though, Zhao was one of a group of amateurs who were invited to the qualifiers for the 2025 Championship.

Despite having started in the opening qualifying round, Zhao navigated the four-phase gauntlet - compiling 12 century breaks in the process - to reach the main draw at the Crucible for the third time in his career.

In the televised stages, Zhao eliminated number 16 seed and last year’s runner-up Jak Jones 10-4 in round one proper before defeating compatriot Lei Peifan - the conqueror of reigning champion Kyren Wilson - 13-10 in the last 16.

In the quarter-finals, Zhao faced world number 20 Wakelin, who had dispatched number nine seed Neil Robertson and number eight seed Mark Allen in the previous two rounds for his first match wins at the Crucible.

Given their impressive form in reaching the last eight, it was surprising that the match was a largely low-quality, error strewn affair.

Possibly both cueists felt the pressure of the occasion, or they were slightly burnt out having played so much snooker over the past few weeks, but it was Zhao who ultimately handled it better in what was a very comfortable margin of victory.

Former Shoot Out Champion Wakelin started off well enough with a run of 91 in the opening frame, but Zhao strung together the next six to take control of the tie.

Wakelin stopped the rot by depositing a close final frame of the first session, before winning the first two frames of the second session to move to within a brace of his opponent at 6-4 down.

However, Zhao went on another six-frame winning streak to go 12-4 up, and although Wakelin claimed the first frame of the concluding session, Zhao didn't have to wait long to progress as he completed the job in the next.

Zhao becomes the third player from mainland China to make the last four of the World Snooker Championship, following the footsteps of Ding Juhnui (2011, 2016, 2017) and Si Jiahui (2023). Ding made the final in 2016, but no Chinese player has yet to lift the iconic trophy.

There is added significance to Zhao’s latest victory, as it means he will start next season inside the world’s top 64, as he gets to keep all the ranking points he has earned over this campaign in both the UK Championship and World Championship which he was both invited to.

Awaiting Zhao in the semi-finals will be either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Si Jiahui.

Speaking after his quarter-final victory, Zhao said: "This is my first time to the semi-final and I am really happy. It was an important game for both of us so there was big pressure.

"A little bit [of nerves]. I have played 22 days with the qualifiers and three more matches so I feel mentally tired. I think it has made me stronger. This tournament has made me stronger. It has been a few months since I played in a tournament and I have played really well until now.

Asked about potentially becoming China’s first-ever world professional snooker champion, Zhao replied: "Hopefully [I can become the first Chinese player to win at the Crucible]. A Chinese player will win in the future.

"I need to say a big thanks to Ronnie O'Sullivan because sometimes he talked about me and it gave me the power to play snooker."

Please visit our 2025 World Snooker Championship tournament information centre here for details on the draw, results, format and order of play.