Zhao Xintong has secured his first World Snooker Championship title with an 18-12 victory over Mark Williams.
Earlier on Monday, there had been a chance that the Chinese would seal an emphatic win at the Crucible with a session to spare.
However, veteran three-time champion Williams was full value for taking the contest into the evening, reeling off the opening four frames on Monday night to give Zhao cause for concern.
Instead, the 28-year-old capitalised on a missed pot from his Welsh opponent to convert an 87 break for the title, deservedly receiving the adulation of the crowd.
Williams had previously made breaks of 101, 96 and 73 to keep himself on course for the greatest comeback in the history of the sport, but Zhao would not be denied more than three weeks having started his qualifying campaign.
Four frames in a row...
— WST (@WeAreWST) May 5, 2025
He couldn't win six more, could he?#HaloWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/5tXTbWowkF
What did Zhao, Williams have to say?
Commenting before the trophy presentation, Williams paid credit to his opponent, saying: "It's been a brilliant tournament for me. The support I've had for the past two weeks has been unbelievable.
"But what a potter Zhao is. I'm glad I'll be too old when he's dominating the game. 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."
As for Zhao, he admitted to feeling nerves despite his dominant pre-season position, reflecting: "I can't believe what I've done. It's very exciting. Thank you.
"I was so nervous tonight. Mark is still a top player and put me under so much pressure. He's the best. I'm not tired. I'll maybe have a good drink tonight."
While Zhao is the first-ever winner from China, Williams has become the oldest player to ever appear in a Crucible final.
Darren Plant
