Zhao Xintong announced his return to snooker in style with an incredible maximum break during Q Tour’s third event in Sweden.
The Chinese potter was among seven Chinese stars to be suspended following a match-fixing scandal, though Zhao was given the lightest punishment after being charged with being party to another playing fixing matches in addition to betting on snooker.
He pled guilty and saw his original sentence of two years and six months reduced to one year and eight months, which came to an end last month.
The former UK Championship winner and world No. 6 was permitted to regain his place on the World Snooker Tour, despite still being banned from the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association.
Zhao made his comeback in Bulgaria last month where he won his first match back playing, before travelling to Sweden where he made a stunning talented Hong Kong youngster Shaun Liu.
The maximum was made en route to a 4-1 victory, with Zhao bagging the first-ever 147 in the history of Q Tour, the amateur competition which gives successful players a pathway to the professional tour.
He also made breaks of 80 and 68 to set up a last-32 match with Luke Pinches in Stockholm. Zhao can be considered one of the favourites to earn promotion to the World Snooker Tour (WST) next season.
The top-ranked amateur at the end of the season will gain automatic promotion to the WST, while three additional places will be up for grabs in a play-off tournament. Those who do reach the professional game are rewarded with a two-year tour card.
And following such an explosive start to life on Q Tour from Zhao, he has firmly thrown his hat in the ring to reach the professional levels once again, having been one of the breakout stars from China.
It remains to be seen how top players such as Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan would react to the possibility of playing against a player who was punished for being involved in match-fixing.
But Zhao has already drawn the support of John Higgins and it may not be too long before he is back involved with the WST.
Of the other players suspended as part of the match-fixing scandal, Chang Bingyu is the next to see his ban end on 7 December 2024.
Yan Bingtao was the other major winner to be banned as part of an investigation into match-fixing in snooker, but he remains suspended until December 11, 2027, while Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were handed lifetime bans.
Seven other players received bans ranging from 20 months to five years and four months.
