Zhao Xintong to play UK Championship in first pro event after ban from snooker

Zhao Xintong will compete in the UK Championship qualifiers this month in his first professional event since returning from his ban from snooker for his involvement in the match-fixing scandal.

The 27-year-old won the UK Championship in 2021 as he announced himself among the elite of the game, following that with the German Masters title in early 2022.

However, his career came to a halt when he was suspended from the sport in January 2023 with the investigation into match-fixing ongoing.

He was ultimately found guilty of being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on snooker matches himself.

Zhao was given a 20-month ban for his involvement in the scandal – which saw much longer bans for others who fixed matches – and has been out of the professional game since.

His ban expired in September this year and he has returned to the amateur circuit with almost immediate success, winning Q Tour Europe Event Three in Sweden, making a 147 along the way.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and World Snooker Tour (WST) confirmed on Tuesday that the winners of Q Tour events before the UK Championship will get a place in UK Championship qualifying, which runs from 16-21 November in Leicester.

This means Zhao will be involved, along with Estonia’s Andrew Petrov after his Event One win and Event Two winner Dylan Emery.

Other amateurs who will take up places they have been offered in UK Championship qualifying are: Iulian Boiko, Daniel Womersley, Hamza Ilyas, Oliver Sykes, Igor Figueiredo, Habib Sabah Hamood and Vladislav Gradniari.

There is also a spot on offer for the winner of Q Tour Europe Event Four, which is being played in Manchester from 8-10 November.

The highest ranked player on the Q Tour Europe rankings after that event in Manchester will also get an invite.

More to follow…