Zhao Builds Commanding Lead Over Williams In Final

Zhao Xintong dominated nan opening convention of nan World Championship last against an out-of-sorts Mark Williams to conception a commanding 7-1 lead.

It was nan cleanable commencement for Zhao arsenic he bids to go China's first ever world champion and only nan 3rd subordinate from extracurricular nan UK to triumph nan title since 1997.

Breaks of 51 and 77 group nan reside successful nan opening framework aft three-time victor Williams missed a agelong red.

Far from appearing overawed, nan 28-year-old, who has had to travel done qualifying, seemed correct astatine location successful his first Crucible final.

He followed up pinch a period successful nan 2nd framework and erstwhile he took nan 3rd connected nan achromatic against a toiling Williams, he was connected people for a patient advantage.

While Williams concisely stopped nan rot earlier nan mid-session interval, he mislaid a tight 5th frame, past collapsed down connected 61 successful nan adjacent erstwhile he grounded to descend nan penultimate reddish to nan apical area and was heavy punished arsenic Zhao ruthlessly cleared nan table.

Zhao, who won nan UK Championship successful 2021 but past served a 20-month prohibition for his engagement successful a match-fixing scandal which rocked nan sport, is hoping to subordinate Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy arsenic nan only qualifiers to onshore snooker's biggest prize since nan tournament's 1977 move to South Yorkshire.

He rounded disconnected an awesome day pinch his 2nd period and a break of 83.

The best-of-35 last resumes connected Sunday evening astatine 19:00 BST.