Xing Zihao
{{short description|Chinese snooker player}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{family name hatnote|Xing ({{linktext|邢}})|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox snooker player
|name = Xing Zihao
|image =
|caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|11|6|df=yes}}{{cite web|url= https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=2630|website=snooker.org|accessdate=29 August 2023|title=Xing Zihao}}
| birth_place = Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China
| Sport country = {{CHN}}
| Professional = 2023–present
| High ranking = 73 (September 2024)
| Official maximums =
| Best finish = Last 16 (2023 Northern Ireland Open)
| Ranking wins =
| World champ =
| medals =
}}
Xing Zihao ({{zh|s=邢子豪}}) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He has achieved a two-year card on the World Snooker Tour, starting with the 2023-24 snooker season.
Career
Xing Zihao trains at the International Billiards Academy in Yushan, east China.{{cite web|url= https://www.xingpaibilliard.com/news/hydt/2023/04/17/20262.html|website=xingpaibilliard.com|accessdate=4 July 2023|date=17 April 2023|title=Professional colleges cultivate outstanding talents International Billiards Academy helps Xing Zihao realise dream of professional competition}} He represented Yushan at the China Snooker Team Tournament in July 2022, alongside Bai Langning and Huang Jiahao.{{cite web|url=https://min.news/en/sport/324ab6f5cde3f956477eec6a2d77ddcf.html|title= The snooker team match is on!Ding Junhui is aiming for the championship!Browning's team is finalized!Fan Zhengyi can expect|website=Min.news|accessdate=4 July 2023}}
He won a place on the 2023-24 World Snooker Tour by successfully qualifying from the CBSA qualifying events held in Beijing in April 2023. His place was earned with a victory over former professional Lei Peifan in the final qualifying round.{{Cite web|url=https://wpbsa.com/xing-and-long-earn-wst-places/|title=Xing and Long Earn WST Places|accessdate=May 1, 2023|website=wpbsa.com|date=April 15, 2023}}
=2023/24=
Xing Zihao made his debut in a professional draw at the [[2023 Championship League (ranking)|
2023 Championship League]] held at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England from 26 June 2023. In his debut game he was defeated by experienced pro Anthony Hamilton but in the rest of the round-robin group stage drew with Ben Mertens and defeated Ryan Thomerson.{{cite web|url=https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/ranking/championship-league-snooker-2023/stage-1/|website=Championship League Snooker|accessdate=June 26, 2023|title= CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE SNOOKER 2023}}{{cite web|url= https://wst.tv/stevens-and-hamilton-through/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230705060429/https://wst.tv/stevens-and-hamilton-through/|url-status= dead|archive-date= 5 July 2023|website=wst.tv|title=Stevens and Hamilton through|accessdate=4 July 2023|date=4 July 2023}}
At the 2023 Wuhan Open he benefited from a walkover when World Champion Luca Brecel pulled out of the event. However, he took advantage by defeating Michael White to reach the last-32 of a ranking event for the first time, where he was defeated by Stephen Maguire.{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/wuhan-open-2023-mark-williams-luca-brecel-and-graeme-dott-withdraw-from-ranking-event-in-china_sto9826249/story.shtml|website=Eurosport|accessdate=22 October 2023|title= WUHAN OPEN 2023: MARK WILLIAMS, LUCA BRECEL AND GRAEME DOTT WITHDRAW FROM RANKING EVENT IN CHINA|first=Alex|last=Livie|date=6 October 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sportinglife.com/amp/snooker/news/wuhan-open-snooker-2023-draw-results-odds-and-tv-coverage-details/212818|website=Sporting Life|accessdate=21 October 2023|title= Wuhan Open snooker 2023: Draw, results, odds & TV coverage details}} He qualified for the 2023 Northern Ireland Open with a 4-0 victory over David Grace.{{cite web|access-date=22 October 2023|website=Eurosport|url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/northern-ireland-open/2023-2024/marco-fu-joe-perry-and-graeme-dott-continue-golden-run-of-victories-in-northern-ireland-open-snooker_sto9843469/story.shtml|title= Marco Fu, Joe Perry and Graeme Dott Continue Golden Run of Victories in Northern Ireland Open Snooker Qualifying|date=20 October 2023}} He followed this by defeating former World Champion Graeme Dott to reach the last-32 at the second consecutive ranking event.{{cite web|accessdate=24 October 2023|url=https://snookerhq.com/2023/10/24/andres-petrov-stuns-mark-allen-belfast/|website=SnookerHQ|title= Andres Petrov stuns Mark Allen in Belfast|first=David|last=Caulfield|date=October 24, 2023}}
At the 2023 UK Championship he beat veteran Jimmy White in the first qualifying round.{{cite web|url=https://snookerhq.com/2023/11/18/uk-championship-qualifiers-2023-draw-schedule-results-how-to-watch/|website=Snooker HQ|accessdate=18 November 2023|title= UK Championship qualifiers: 2023 draw, schedule, results, how to watch|first=David|last=Caulfield|date=November 18, 2023}} In the first round of qualifying at the 2024 World Snooker Championship he defeated veteran Michael Holt 10-6.{{cite web|url= https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/april/08/davies-makes-winning-start/|title=Davies makes winning start|date=8 April 2024|accessdate=9 April 2024|website=WST}}
=2024/25=
He made his season debut at the 2024 Championship League in Leicester in June 2024, and won matches against amateur Joshua Thomond and rookie pro Kreishh Gurbaxani, before losing to Ali Carter to finish second in his round-robin group.{{cite web|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/june/26/captain-cruises-through/ |date=26 June 2024|accessdate=27 June 2024|website=wst.tv|title=Carter cruises through}} In July 2024, he defeated former world champion Stuart Bingham 5-1 in qualifying for the 2024 Wuhan Open. {{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/wuhan-open-luca-brecel-suffers-shock-exit-in-losing-to-world-no.-100-duane-jones-in-qualifying_sto10261473/story.shtml|website=Eurosport|title= WUHAN OPEN: LUCA BRECEL SUFFERS SHOCK EXIT IN LOSING TO WORLD NO. 100 DUANE JONES IN QUALIFYING|date=30 July 2024|accessdate=30 July 2024}} He reached the third round of the 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters where he was defeated by Bingham.{{cite web|url= https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/saudi-arabia-masters/2024/stuart-bingham-beats-xing-zihao-jimmy-white_sto20033573/story.shtml |accessdate=2 September 2024|website=Eurosport|title= SAUDI ARABIA SNOOKER MASTERS: JIMMY WHITE'S RIYADH RUN ENDED BY SI JIAHUI; STUART BINGHAM & NEIL ROBERTSON PROGRESS |date=2 September 2024}} He reached the last-16 at the 2024 Scottish Open.{{cite web|url= https://www.tntsports.co.uk/snooker/shoot-out/2021-2022/mark-williams-eases-into-last-16-of-snooker-shoot-out-world-no.-1-mark-selby-crashes-out-to-robbie-w_sto8732642/story.shtml?welcome=eurosport|website=tntsports.co.uk|accessdate=4 April 2025|title= Latest scores, results and schedule as Wu Yize and Lei Peifan battle for title|first=Alec|last= McQuarrie|date=15 December 2024}} He defeated Alexander Ursenbacher 10-6 in the second round of qualifying for the 2025 World Championship, before losing to Chris Wakelin in the third round.{{cite web|website=wst.tv|url= https://www.wst.tv/news/2025/april/10/halo-world-championship-qualifying---day-four-updates/ |accessdate=11 April 2025|title= HALO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING - DAY FOUR AS IT HAPPENED |date=10 April 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://www.tntsports.co.uk/snooker/halo-world-championship/2024-2025/zhao-xintong-crucible-jackson-page-147_sto23173179/story.shtml|website=tntsports|accessdate=13 April 2025|title= World Snooker Championship 2025: Zhao Xintong continues march towards Crucible with three-century victory as Jackson Page fires his first 147|date=14 April 2025}} Following the conclusion of his two year tour card he entered the Asia-Oceania Q School in May 2025 where he recorded a win over Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.{{cite web|website=wst.tv|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2025/may/16/asia-oceania-q-school-day-two/|accessdate=16 May 2025|title= ASIA-OCEANIA Q SCHOOL DAY TWO|date=15 May 2025}}
Performance and rankings timeline
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"
! Tournament ! 2023/ ! 2024/ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Ranking{{cite web|title=Ranking History|url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/history.asp|publisher=Snooker.org|access-date=6 February 2011}}Shows the ranking at the beginning of the season
|align="center"|New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking |align="center"|76 |
| colspan="10"|Ranking tournaments |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Championship League
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Xi'an Grand Prix
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Saudi Arabia Masters
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|English Open
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|British Open
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Wuhan Open
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Northern Ireland Open
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|International Championship
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|UK Championship
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shoot Out
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Scottish Open
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|German Masters
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Welsh Open
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Open
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Grand Prix
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Players Championship
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Tour Championship
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Championship
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |
| colspan="10"|Former ranking tournaments |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;"|European Masters
|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ |align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:78%;" |
| bgcolor="#efefef"
! colspan="6"|Performance Table Legend |
| align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|LQ
| lost in the qualifying draw | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|#R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
| lost in the semi-finals | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F | lost in the final | align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|W | won the tournament |
| align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|DNQ
| did not qualify for the tournament | align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|A | did not participate in the tournament | align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" | |
| style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"|NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. |
| style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"|NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. |
| style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"|R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. |
| style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"|MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. |
| style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"|PA / Pro-am Event | means an event is/was a pro-am event. |
{{reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{portal|Cue sports}}
- {{WST player|32d68429-273a-4622-aca2-c3e704b6ac63}}
- {{snooker.org player}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xing, Zihao}}
Category:Chinese snooker players
Category:21st-century Chinese sportsmen