Ding Junhui's dad's opinion on snooker World Champion Zhao Xintong speaks volumes

World champion had already won the respect of fellow Chinese snooker star father, before sweeping to victory at the . Having transformed the sport in China with major wins such as his three triumphs and 2011 victory, Ding seemed poised to become his country's first-ever champion, especially after his 2016 final appearance.

Yet, it is a , having achieved his breakout at the UK Championship in 2021. Zhao, rebounding from a due to betting-related infractions that led to the suspension of ten Chinese players, in Sheffield, overpowering 18-12 to claim snooker's most prestigious prize and a handsome £500,000 cheque on Monday.

Post-game discussions turned to the topic of Ding when The Cyclone sat down with , and 28-year-old Zhao was informed of just how highly regarded he is by the father of his legendary compatriot.

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Radzi Chinyanganya, the presenting face during the post-victory interview, couldn’t help but touch upon the topic of Ding, telling Zhao: "Ding's father is a big fan of yours. He says your character is very, very good. So even as a young boy, you had good character."

World champion Zhao responded with a hint of nostalgia: "Yeah, I know uncle Ding. He helped me a lot before. And, when I was young, sometimes he would ask me, 'What do you want to do?'"

Moments after clinching victory from Class of '92 icon Williams, who himself made history as the oldest-ever finalist at this event, Zhao voiced his elation, declaring his triumph a lifelong ambition realised, reports .

"I can't believe it. I am so happy. It feels like a dream right now," Zhao expressed. "I can't believe it's come true. I can't believe what I've done this month. It's been really exciting.

"My parents, Victoria and my girlfriend and my coach when I was wrong thank you. I'll have a good drink tonight to celebrate. I just want to thank everybody for their support. I was so nervous tonight. He put me under so much pressure."

Opponent Williams lauded the rising Chinese talent after bitter defeat, aligning him with young darts sensation Luke Littler, who has brought his own sport on leaps and bounds.

"I'm glad I'll be too old when he's dominating the game," admitted the 50-year-old veteran Williams, decorated with 26 ranking titles throughout his career.

"I've got nothing but admiration for what he's done, coming through the qualifiers. He hasn't played for two years, bashed everybody up. There's a new superstar of the game.

"It could be huge for the sport. It could open floodgates everywhere. He could dominate or at least give [Judd] Trump or Kyren [Wilson] a run for their money.

"With the Luke Littler thing in darts. This is what snooker needed: someone like him coming through. It is bound to open doors. It will be front page on every news outlet going."