Zhao Xintong took another step towards regaining his professional status after winning Q Tour 4 in Manchester on Sunday.
The Chinese competitor beat Ryan Davies 4-2 in the final to seal the £3,000 prize and move to the top of the 2024/25 Q Tour rankings.
Success represents his second in a row on the amateur circuit that provides a gateway to the professional World Snooker Tour.
It means that the 27 year-old has emerged with the silverware in two out of the three Q Tour events he’s participated in since returning from his snooker ban.
Zhao became embroiled in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport more than a year ago, but he has been free to return to competitive action since September.
The Q Tour provides one of the most obvious routes back to the main tour, where many feel the two-time former ranking event winner belongs.
Zhao once again demonstrated the natural talent at his disposal when, for the second Q Tour event in succession, he compiled a magnificent 147 break.
It will be interesting to see if he can carry this level of form into next week’s UK Championship qualifiers having received an invited from the WPBSA to participate in this year’s draw.
Zhao memorably captured the 2021 UK Championship crown by defeating Luca Brecel before landing the German Masters title a couple of months later in Berlin.
He reached a career-high of number six in the world rankings and was regarded as the brightest young prospect in the game before his career unravelled amid the ban.
But with three events left on the European swing of the Q Tour, Zhao is now in a strong position to regain his status among the elite.
The top-ranked player on the European Q Tour rankings will receive an automatic two-year card to compete on the professional circuit.
Three additional spots will be up for grabs through a play-off tournament involving high-ranked players on the European Q Tour and others from the Global Q Tour series of events held around the world.
Following Q Tour 4, Zhao Xintong takes the front with a total haul of £6,000 placing him ahead of Dylan Emery and Andres Petrov – winners of Q Tour 2 and Q Tour 1 respectively.
The fifth Q Tour tournament is scheduled for December 13-15 in Vienna.
Q Tour Event 4
Selected Results
Last 16
Connor Benzey 4-2 Joshua Thomond
Craig Steadman 4-2 Iulian Boiko
Oliver Sykes 4-1 Aidan Gallagher
Zhao Xintong 4-1 Hamim Hussain
Ryan Davies 4-3 James Cahill
Sean O’Sullivan 4-2 Harvey Chandler
Dylan Emery 4-2 Kayden Brierley
Gerard Greene 4-2 Sean Maddocks
Quarter-Finals
Craig Steadman 4-1 Connor Benzey
Zhao Xintong 4-1 Oliver Sykes
Ryan Davies 4-2 Sean O’Sullivan
Dylan Emery 4-2 Gerard Greene
Semi-Finals
Zhao Xintong 4-1 Craig Steadman
Ryan Davies 4-0 Dylan Emery
Final
Zhao Xintong 4-2 Ryan Davies
European Q Tour Rankings
1. Zhao Xintong – £6,000
2. Dylan Emery – £3,900
3. Andres Petrov – £3,300
4. Craig Steadman – £2,900
5. Ryan Davies – £2,600
6. Ryan Thomerson – £2,400
7. Harvey Chandler – £2,000
8. Steven Hallworth – £1,700
9. Mark Joyce – £1,700
10. Iulian Boiko – £1,400
Click here to view the full Q Tour rankings
(snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WPBSA
Zhao also compiled three successive centuries in his win over Craig Steadman.