**Zhao Xintong Set to Trigger Unprecedented Clause as World Snooker Championship Dream Run Nears £100K Windfall**
Zhao Xintong, the dynamic snooker star from China, is poised to make yet more history at this year’s World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. Currently leading Chris Wakelin 12-4 in the quarter-finals, Zhao stands just one frame away from not only securing a place in the semi-finals, but also activating a never-before-utilised clause in the World Snooker Tour (WST) rankings system. This development could have a significant impact on the sport’s professional landscape.
The 28-year-old player’s journey back to the spotlight is nothing short of remarkable. Having served a 20-month ban following a high-profile match-fixing scandal involving several Chinese players, Zhao was forced to resume his career on the amateur circuit. Despite this setback, he wasted no time demonstrating his immense talent, dominating the Q Tour to secure a fresh two-year Tour Card and storm through the Championship qualifiers to earn a place at the Crucible.
Zhao’s impressive run has included victories over strong contenders, such as Jak Jones and Lei Peifan, and his current dominance over Wakelin puts him within sight of the largest payday of his return—£100,000 in guaranteed prize money just for reaching the semi-final stage. To add to this, his £10,000 from the UK Championship in November further boosts his season’s earnings.
The intriguing twist in Zhao’s story isn’t just the size of the cheque, however, but a little-known clause within WST regulations. Should he progress to the semi-finals as widely expected, Zhao will become the first amateur to break into the top 64 of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, earning a unique advantage previously unwitnessed in professional snooker.
Typically, amateurs who earn a place on the World Snooker Tour do so with a clean slate—starting at zero on the ranking points table, regardless of past accolades or winnings. However, because Zhao’s prize haul as an amateur is substantial enough to place him at 57th in the two-year rankings, WST has confirmed that he will retain all ranking points accumulated through his Crucible campaign as he re-joins the professional ranks next season.
A WST spokesperson provided clarity on this rare scenario: “If Zhao reaches the last four, the guaranteed prize money of £100,000 will be enough to lift him into the top 64 of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, which means that going into 2025/26, the 28-year-old will retain the ranking points he has earned this season.” This confirmation underlines the precedent he is setting—a notable first in the sport’s history.
Zhao’s extraordinary performance has not just made him the first amateur to reach the final eight at the World Snooker Championship, but he is now all but assured of exceeding that feat. No amateur has ever appeared on the official WST two-year ranking system, let alone entered the professional top 64 by merit of their wins as a non-professional.
Looking ahead, Zhao’s momentum suggests he could soon find himself face-to-face with either snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan or the young Chinese sensation Si Jiahui in the semi-finals. Whomever he faces, Zhao’s run is already being celebrated as one of the great comeback stories in snooker’s modern era—showcasing both the resilience of the player and the evolving nature of the sport’s regulatory landscape.
In summary, Zhao Xintong’s run at this year’s Championship is substantial not only for personal and national pride but because it marks a genuine shift in how success in the amateur ranks can be recognised at the highest level. As eyes turn to the Crucible, Zhao just needs one more frame to transform his future—on and off the green baize.