'Father figure' Xiao Guodong predicts 'many more young talents' will come from China to the Crucible

Xiao defeated qualifier Matthew Selt 10-4 on Sunday in Sheffield to record only his second match victory on snooker's grandest stage, and set up a last 16 tie with either John Higgins or Joe O'Connor.

His first appearance at the Crucible since 2018 - and his fourth overall - Xiao arrives this year as a serious contender for the blue riband title off the back of his best-ever season as a professional.

The 36-year-old first played on the sport's top tier in 2007, but this term has been Xiao's breakthrough campaign having won his maiden ranking event title on home soil at the Wuhan Open in October.

'X-Factor' has built on that triumph, reaching the Champion of Champions invitational final on debut, and making the semi-finals of three further ranking events.

Those results helped push Xiao up into the world's elite top 16 rankings for the first time, and he is making his bow as a Crucible seed at this year's edition.

In his opening assignment, Xiao compiled breaks of 69, 120, 73, 109 and 57 as he established a 7-2 overnight lead from the first session. Opponent Selt was striking the ball well himself having fashioned efforts on 106 and 131 in the two frames he won.

Returning the next morning, Selt took the first two frames of the day to boost his hopes of a big comeback, but crucially missed a pink in frame 12 when looking like reducing his arrears to just two. Xiao won that frame on the colours and strung together the next two frames to advance.

Xiao is part of a record-breaking cast of 10 Chinese players who are starring in the main draw this year. This smashes the previous record of six set in 2019.

In a Crucible classic on Saturday night, Scottish Open champion and world number 39 Lei kept his cool in the deciding frame to send reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson out of this year's competition at the first hurdle.

Whilst Xiao was completing his round one win, on the other side of the arena divide, fellow countryman Zhao Xintong top scored with a break of 142 as he created a commanding 7-2 first session lead over last year's runner-up and number 16 seed Jak Jones.

Former UK Champion and top 16 star Zhao is back in the main draw having served his ban from the sport which expired last September.

However, the 28-year-old isn't technically a professional again until next season, and is playing at the Crucible as an amateur having come through all four qualifying rounds over the past fortnight.

The majority of this year's Chinese field in Sheffield are aged in their twenties - a familiar theme throughout the world rankings. Given their experience and longevity on the professional tour, Xiao and Ding Junhui are the 'elder' statesmen when it comes to the bulk of overseas talent from the Far East.

Xiao - who lives in Sheffield and very close to the Crucible - is known to help new Chinese players on the circuit learn English and settle down into a different way of life.

Sixth on this year's one-year ranking list, Xiao is proud to see so many of his compatriots making it through to the televised stages of the World Championship.

In a post-match interview with the World Snooker Tour, Xiao said: "I am very proud. Lei was unbelievable last night. When I look back 20 years ago there was only Ding and Marco Fu. Now to have ten Chinese players at the Crucible is amazing.

“In the future there will be many more young talents. I see them come to the UK, I am an older player and I can help them, I always try my best."

Only two players from mainland China have reached the one-table set-up at the Crucible.

Unsurprisingly, Asia's greatest-ever player and former world number one Ding Junhui has come the closest to winning the world title when he made the final in 2016. 'The Dragon' has appeared in two further semi-finals (2011 & 2017).

On his Crucible debut, Si Jiahui sensationally made it to the semi-finals in 2023, and looked like booking a final berth when leading Luca Brecel 14-5 before suffering an agonising 17-15 loss to the eventual champion.

20-years-old at the time, Si threatened to break Stephen Hendry's record by becoming snooker's youngest-ever World Champion.

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