Zhao Xintong

{{family name hatnote|Zhao ({{linktext|赵}})|lang=Chinese}}

{{Infobox snooker player

| name = Zhao Xintong

| image = Zhao Xintong PHC 2016-1.jpg

| caption = Zhao at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|4|3|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

| Sport country = {{CHN}}

| Professional = 2016–2023, 2025–

| High ranking = 6 (May 2022)

| Official maximums =

| Best finish =

| Ranking wins = 2

| World champ =

| medals =

{{MedalCountry | {{CHN}} }}

| medals-expand = no

}}

Zhao Xintong ({{zh|s=赵心童}}; born 3 April 1997) is a Chinese snooker player. Zhao attracted attention as a teenager, with a number of top players commenting on his potential in the sport. He joined the professional tour in 2016 and won his first ranking title and first Triple Crown title at the 2021 UK Championship, defeating Luca Brecel 10–5 in the final. With this win, he entered the top 16 in the world rankings for the first time and became eligible for his first Masters.{{cite news |title=Zhao beats Brecel to win UK Championship |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/59540759|access-date=5 December 2021}} He won his second ranking title at the 2022 German Masters when he whitewashed Yan Bingtao 9–0 in the final, becoming only the third player, after Steve Davis and Neil Robertson, to win a two-session ranking final without conceding a frame.{{cite web |date=30 January 2022 |title=Zhao Xintong wraps up whitewash victory over Yan Bingtao to secure German Masters victory in Berlin |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/german-masters/2021-2022/zhao-xintong-leads-yan-bingtao-8-0-after-extraordinary-first-session-in-german-masters-final_sto8746841/story.shtml |access-date=30 January 2022 |website=Eurosport}}

In January 2023, the sport's governing body suspended Zhao as part of a match-fixing investigation involving ten Chinese players.{{cite news |title=UK Championship winner Zhao latest to be suspended |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/64152359 |access-date=3 January 2023}} He was subsequently charged with being involved in fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker. Following an independent disciplinary tribunal, Zhao was banned from professional competition until 1 September 2024.{{cite web |date=6 June 2023 |title=WPBSA Statement 6 June 2023 |url=https://wpbsa.com/wpbsa-statement-6-june-2023/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=WPBSA}}

After his ban ended, Zhao competed on the secondary Q Tour which serves as a qualification route to the main professional tour.{{cite news |title=Zhao set for comeback after match-fixing scandal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/articles/c5yl1l147xlo |work=BBC Sport |date=10 September 2024 |access-date=11 September 2024 |archive-date=10 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910110834/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/articles/c5yl1l147xlo |url-status=live}} He won four straight events on the Q Tour between October 2024 and January 2025, thereby guaranteeing the top spot on the Q Tour Europe rankings list and securing his return to professional competition for the 2025–26 season.{{refn|{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong Wins Q Tour Title in Sweden |url=https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-wins-q-tour-title-in-sweden/ |date=6 October 2024 |work=WPBSA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241215132253/https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-wins-q-tour-title-in-sweden/ |archive-date=15 December 2024 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Completes Q Tour Double |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/november/11/zhao-completes-q-tour-double/ |date=11 November 2024 |website=World Snooker Tour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112172122/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/november/11/zhao-completes-q-tour-double/ |archive-date=12 November 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Q Tour Hat-Trick For Zhao Xintong |url=https://wpbsa.com/q-tour-hat-trick-for-zhao-xintong/ |date=15 December 2024 |website=WPBSA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241215202924/https://wpbsa.com/q-tour-hat-trick-for-zhao-xintong/ |archive-date=15 December 2024 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong Completes Q Tour Quartet |url=https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-completes-q-tour-quartet/ |date=13 January 2025 |website=WPBSA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114104413/https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-completes-q-tour-quartet/ |archive-date=14 January 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong Secures World Snooker Tour Return |url=https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-secures-world-snooker-tour-return/ |website=WPBSA |date=11 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114104841/https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-secures-world-snooker-tour-return/ |archive-date=14 January 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong secures return to World Snooker tour after 20-month ban |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/zhao-xintong-return-world-snooker-tour-18-month-ban_sto20070056/story.shtml |date=11 January 2025 |website=Eurosport |last=Clifford |first=Flo}}}} He also became the first player to make a maximum break on the Q Tour, achieving the feat in Events 3 and 4.{{Cite web |title=Zhao Xintong Hits Historic Q Tour Maximum in Stockholm |url=https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-hits-historic-q-tour-maximum-in-stockholm/ |date=5 October 2024 |website=WPBSA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241215132101/https://wpbsa.com/zhao-xintong-hits-historic-q-tour-maximum-in-stockholm/ |archive-date=15 December 2024 |url-status=live}}

Career

{{quote box|quote= "This boy was astonishingly good and better than anybody I have ever seen at that age - and that includes Ronnie O'Sullivan!" |source= — Steve Davis{{sfn|Davis|2015|p=352}} |width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}

Zhao Xintong first drew international attention in June 2012 at the Zhangjiagang Open defeating high ranking players Xiao Guodong, Irishman Kevin McMahon and Yu Delu to reach the last 16 of the tournament where he narrowly lost 4–3 to Stephen Lee. Zhao would build on this success by reaching the second round of Asian Tour Events the Yixing Open and Zhengzhou Open.

As a wildcard entrant he defeated former World Champion Ken Doherty in the International Championship to reach the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time, again narrowly losing in a final frame decider 6–5 to Matthew Stevens. Having also earned his way to the last 32 of the World Open and China Open, Zhao started gaining the reputation of the Wildcard Menace, a mantle formerly held by Kevin McMahon.{{cite web |last=Nunns |first=Hector |date=27 October 2014 |title=Zhao Xintong Targets Pro Place by 2015 |url=http://www.inside-snooker.com/snooker/2014/10/27/wildcard-menace-zhao-targets-pro-place |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204111819/http://www.inside-snooker.com/snooker/2014/10/27/wildcard-menace-zhao-targets-pro-place |archive-date=4 December 2021 |website=inside-snooker.com}}

In 2013, at the International Championship, he beat six-time World Champion Steve Davis 6–1 who later commented: "This boy was astonishingly good and better than anybody I have ever seen at that age - and that includes Ronnie O'Sullivan."{{sfn|Davis|2015|p=352}} He went on to reach the third round of the competition before losing 6–2 to Marco Fu, however he would go on to avenge this loss by defeating Fu in the first round of the 2014 Shanghai Masters.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/29048967 |title=Shanghai Masters 2014: Results |date=3 September 2014 |work=BBC Sport}} Zhao entered the World Amateur Championship in late 2013 reaching the final, however he lost to his fellow countryman Zhou Yuelong 8–4 and thus missed out on a chance to join the world snooker main tour for the 2014–15 season.{{cite news |url=http://www.prosnookerblog.com/2013/12/14/zhou-yuelong-wins-ibsf-world-championship/ |title=Zhou Yuelong Wins IBSF World Championship |date=14 December 2013 |website=prosnookerblog.com |access-date=14 December 2013}}

=2014–15 season=

Zhao entered several events in an attempt to qualify for the 2015–16 season. He was narrowly defeated in the first round of the ACBS Asian Snooker Championship. He won three games in the first event of the 2015 Q School before losing 4–3 to Alexander Ursenbacher in the penultimate round. In the second event Zhao got extremely close to qualifying for the main tour managing to reach the final round before losing 4–3 to Duane Jones in a black ball finish in the deciding frame.{{cite news |url=http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/World-Snooker-s-Q-School-ends-new-professionals/story-26576461-detail/story.html |title=World Snooker's Q School ends as eight new professionals get tour cards at Meadowside Leisure Centre |date=27 May 2015 |work=Burton Mail |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529195722/http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/World-Snooker-s-Q-School-ends-new-professionals/story-26576461-detail/story.html |archive-date=29 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2014&player=946 |title=Zhao Xintong 2014/2015 |website=snooker.org |access-date=19 August 2016}}

=2015–16 season=

Zhao's high Q School Order of Merit ranking gave him entry as a top up player to many events in the 2015–16 season. He whitewashed Stuart Carrington 6–0 to qualify for the International Championship and, despite losing 6–2 to John Higgins in the first round, his effort of 142 won the high break prize for the event.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/bingham-falls-to-delu/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220233026/https://wst.tv/bingham-falls-to-delu/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Bingham Falls to Delu |date=26 October 2015 |work=World Snooker Tour |access-date=19 August 2016}} Zhao made his first appearance at the UK Championship, German Masters and Welsh Open, but was knocked out in the opening round of each.{{cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2015&player=946 |title=Zhao Xintong 2015/2016 |website=snooker.org |access-date=19 August 2016}} He lost in the final of the 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship 8–6 to Pankaj Advani.{{cite web |url=http://www.ibsf.info/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=469:pankaj-crowned-with-world-snooker-title&Itemid=180 |title=Pankaj crowned with World Snooker title |date=21 November 2015 |last=Pathak |first=Vivek |work=IBSF| access-date=19 August 2016}} It meant that Zhao won a two-year card for the main tour after Advani declined the invitation.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/chinese-duo-to-turn-professional/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220224922/https://wst.tv/chinese-duo-to-turn-professional/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Chinese Duo to Turn Professional |date=17 May 2016 |work=World Snooker Tour |access-date=19 August 2016}}

=2016–17 season=

File:Zhao Xintong PHC 2016-2.jpg

After whitewashing Wang Yuchen 4–0 at the English Open, Zhao met Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round. Breaks of 130, 107 and 80 saw him lead 3–2, but he missed chances to take the win and was defeated 4–3. O'Sullivan said afterwards that Zhao's attacking style of play had reminded him of Stephen Hendry when he was a similar age.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/osullivan-survives-zhao-test/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220224643/https://wst.tv/osullivan-survives-zhao-test/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=O'Sullivan Survives Zhao Test |date=13 October 2016 |work=World Snooker Tour |access-date=19 March 2017}} He qualified for the German Masters by beating Li Hang 5–3 and John Higgins 5–1 and a 5–0 thrashing of Sunny Akani saw Zhao reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. He held a narrow 4–3 advantage over Ali Carter, but lost the last two frames.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/carter-wins-zhao-battle/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220224631/https://wst.tv/carter-wins-zhao-battle/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Carter Wins Zhao Battle|date=2 February 2017 |work=World Snooker Tour |access-date=19 March 2017}} Zhao was also edged out in the third round Gibraltar Open 4–3 by Mark Williams.{{cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=946&season=2016 |title=Zhao Xintong 2016/2017 |website=snooker.org |access-date=19 March 2017}}

=2017–18 season=

He dropped off the tour at the end of the 2017–18 season but entered 2018 Q School in a bid to win back his place.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/zhao-storms-through-in-burton/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220184019/https://wst.tv/zhao-storms-through-in-burton/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Zhao Storms Through in Burton |date=16 May 2018 |work=World Snooker Tour}}{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/q-school-event-two-final-day-line-up/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220192329/https://wst.tv/q-school-event-two-final-day-line-up/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Q School Event Two – Final Day Line up |date=24 May 2018 |work=World Snooker Tour}} He won back his place by beating Dechawat Poomjaeng in the second event final of Q School.{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/brown-earns-tour-return/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220184728/https://wst.tv/brown-earns-tour-return/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 February 2020 |title=Brown Earns Tour Return |date=25 May 2018 |work=World Snooker Tour}}

=2018–19 season=

Zhao bounced back after a difficult 2017–18 season, reaching his first semi-final at the China Championship early in the season, beating Matthew Stevens, Anthony McGill, Fergal O'Brien, Mark Williams, and Barry Hawkins, before losing 4–6 to Mark Selby.{{cite web |last=Caulfield |first=David |date=29 September 2018 |title=China Championship Final: Mark Selby vs John Higgins |url=https://snookerhq.com/2018/09/29/china-championship-final-mark-selby-john-higgins/ |access-date=17 December 2020 |website=snookerhq.com}} He also reached the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open, losing 2–5 to eventual finalist Stuart Bingham.{{cite web |title=Results (Welsh Open 2019) |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=22&event=766 |access-date=4 December 2021 |website=snooker.org}} Perhaps the biggest achievement of the season for Zhao was reaching the final stages of the World Championship for the first time, but he lost 7–10 to Selby in the first round.{{cite news |date=22 April 2019 |title=World Snooker Championship: Mark Selby beats Zhao Xintong – best shots |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/snooker/48018333 |access-date=17 December 2020 |format=video}}

=2019–20 season=

Zhao maintained his form from the previous season, reaching another quarter-final in the German Masters and progressing to the last 16 in at least four other tournaments. This consistent performance elevated his world ranking to 29th by the end of the season. Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, and Alan McManus have all once suggested that Zhao would become a leading player in world snooker due to his enormous potential.{{cite web |title=Snooker News – Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry Predict Rapid Rise for Zhao Xintong |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/snooker-news-ronnie-o-sullivan-and-stephen-hendry-predict-rapid-rise-for-zhao-xintong_sto7740931/story.shtml |access-date=18 December 2020 |work=Eurosport |date=4 May 2020}}

=2020–21 season=

=2021–22 season – UK Champion and breakthrough into the top 16=

In the 2021 UK Championship, Zhao claimed his first Triple Crown title, and first ranking title overall, by beating Belgian Luca Brecel 10–5, in the final. Due to this, he climbed into the Top 16 of the rankings, at number 9, becoming the Chinese number 1 player. He also qualified for the 2022 Masters, and became number 1 on the one-year ranking list.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/59543679 |title=Snooker's Federer backed to land world title |date=5 December 2021 |work=BBC Sport}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/snooker/59543775 |title=Watch: Zhao beats Brecel to win UK Championship - best shots |work=BBC Sport |format=video |date=5 December 2021}} At the Masters, he played John Higgins in the first round in a repeat of prior meetings in both the World Grand Prix and the UK Championship, however, he lost 2–6.

In 2022, he reached the final of the 2022 German Masters, having defeated seasoned professionals such as Mark Williams, Tom Ford, the defending champion Judd Trump and Ricky Walden. There, he met fellow professional and countryman Yan Bingtao, whom he defeated by a whitewash of 9–0 to claim the second ranking title of his career in the space of just two months. By doing so, he became only the third player in history to whitewash a player in the final of a ranking event: the last two who did this were Steve Davis and Neil Robertson.

=2022–23 season – Suspension=

Zhao was suspended in January 2023 by the sport’s governing body as part of a match-fixing investigation involving ten Chinese players. He was subsequently charged with being concerned in fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker. Hearings by an independent disciplinary tribunal were initiated in May 2023, and on 6 June 2023 he was given a 20-month ban until 1 September 2024, but was not docked any results or prize money.

When the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (the CBSA) upheld the original ban length of 30 months, confusion was created within the media covering the sport: at the time, the WPBSA stated that players not in good standing with their local association could not rejoin the World Snooker Tour, thus suggesting that Zhao would have had to wait until at least July 2025 to begin competing in any amateur snooker tournament. The date would also have meant Zhao could not return to the professional tour until at least the start of the 2026–27 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3225059/snooker-match-fixing-5-players-given-longer-bans-china-face-global-exclusion-too-bosses-confirm-blow |title=China's longer bans for snooker match-fixers may apply globally, WPBSA confirms |date=22 June 2023}} However, in interviews to the media in 2024, Jason Ferguson – the current chairman of the WPBSA – confirmed that the extended ban imposed by the CBSA only applied to events that were sanctioned and governed by the Chinese governing body: it did not apply to any events sanctioned and governed by any other association, including the WPBSA. This confirmation meant that Zhao would be eligible to enter the 2024–25 Q Tour after 1 September 2024, the date that his ban with the WPBSA expired, as well as any other amateur competition that is not sanctioned by the CBSA.{{cite news |title=Jason Ferguson gives the latest on the Crucible, snooker’s Olympic hopes, a Zhao Xintong return and more |url=https://metro.co.uk/2024/08/16/jason-ferguson-gives-latest-crucible-snookers-olympic-hopes-zhao-xintong-21437717/# |work=Metro |first=Phil |last=Haigh |date=16 August 2024 |access-date=2 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817015753/https://metro.co.uk/2024/08/16/jason-ferguson-gives-latest-crucible-snookers-olympic-hopes-zhao-xintong-21437717/ |archive-date=17 August 2024 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong ban is ending, so what happens next? |url=https://snookerhq.com/2024/08/30/zhao-xintong-ban-ending-what-happens-next/ |website=snookerhq.com |first=David |last=Caulfield |date=30 August 2024 |access-date=2 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830185808/https://snookerhq.com/2024/08/30/zhao-xintong-ban-ending-what-happens-next/ |archive-date=30 August 2024 |url-status=live}}

=2024–25 season – Return to competition=

File:Zhao Xintong 2025.jpg

After his suspension came to an end on 1 September 2024, Zhao competed on the amateur Q Tour, hoping to regain professional status, first entering Q Tour Event 2 held in Sofia. He won Q Tour Event 3 held in October 2024 in Stockholm. During the event, in his 4–1 win over Shaun Liu in the round of 64, he became the first player to make a maximum break on the Q Tour.

On 10 November, he won Q Tour Event 4 held in Manchester, defeating Ryan Davies 4–2 in the final. On his run to the trophy, he made another maximum break in his 4–1 quarter-final win over Oliver Sykes, as well as three centuries in defeating Craig Steadman 4–1 in the semi-finals.{{cite web |title=Match Sheet: Semi-final - Craig Steadman vs Xintong Zhao |url=https://snookerscores.net/scoreboard/match/416fd335-6b02-4f63-ba00-540c8b519a9e/sheet |work=snookerscores.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241215132615/https://snookerscores.net/scoreboard/match/416fd335-6b02-4f63-ba00-540c8b519a9e/sheet |archive-date=15 December 2024 |url-status=live}}

On 5 November 2024, WPBSA and WST announced that Zhao would be invited to play in the 2024 UK Championship as a WPBSA qualifier, an event he had won in 2021, due to his win in Event 3 on the Q Tour.{{cite web |title=WPBSA Qualifiers Announced for UK Championship |url=https://wpbsa.com/wpbsa-qualifiers-announced-for-uk-championship/ |date=5 November 2024 |work=WPBSA}} He won four qualifying matches in the event to qualify for the main stage but was ultimately defeated 6{{nbnd}}5 by Shaun Murphy in the first round.{{cite web |title=Resurgent Zhao books York return |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/november/21/resurgent-zhao-books-york-return-/ |work=World Snooker Tour |date=21 November 2024 |archive-date=28 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128115235/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/november/21/resurgent-zhao-books-york-return-/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zhao Xintong relishing Shaun Murphy clash after win over Ricky Walden |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/uk-championship/2024-2025/zhao-xintong-shaun-murphy-clash-york-dominant-qualifying-win-ricky-walden_sto20056057 |work=Eurosport |date=21 November 2024 |last=Kane |first=Desmond}}{{cite web |title=Victorian Plumbing UK Championship 2024 |url=https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=1837 |work=snooker.org |date=2 December 2024}}

He won Q Tour Event 5 held in Vienna on 15 December 2024, as well as Q Tour Event 6 held in Mons, Belgium, on 12 January 2025, defeating Australian Ryan Thomerson 4{{nbnd}}2 and Iran's Ehsan Heydari Nezhad 4{{nbnd}}1 in the finals respectively, thereby winning four straight events and 32 matches on the Q Tour in a row. His performance in event 6 guaranteed his place at the top of the Q Tour Europe rankings list and therefore secured him a new 2-year tour card for the 2025–26 season. Topping the Q Tour Europe rankings list also guaranteed him a spot in the 2025 World Snooker Championship qualifying draw.{{cite web |title=WPBSA Qualifying Criteria Announced for 2025 World Snooker Championship |url=https://wpbsa.com/wpbsa-qualifying-criteria-announced-for-2025-world-snooker-championship/ |date=4 January 2025 |website=WPBSA}}

Performance and rankings timeline

class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"

! Tournament

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Ranking{{cite web |title=Ranking History |url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/history.asp|website=snooker.org |access-date=6 February 2011}}It shows the ranking at the beginning of the season

|align="center"|He was an amateur

|align="center"|

|align="center"|New players don't have a ranking

|align="center"|72

|align="center"|Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points

|align="center"|59

|align="center"|29

|align="center"|26

|align="center"|6

|align="center"|He was an amateur after his ban ended on 1 September 2024

colspan="20"|Ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Championship League

|align="center" colspan="8" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Xi'an Grand Prix

|align="center" colspan="11" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Saudi Arabia Masters

|align="center" colspan="11" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|English Open

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|British Open

|align="center" colspan="9" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Wuhan Open

|align="center" colspan="11" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Northern Ireland Open

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|{{nowrap|International Championship}}

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|UK Championship

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|W

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shoot Out

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Scottish Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|German Masters

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|W

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WDZhao had initially been entered into the tournament during the qualifying stages played in November, and had progressed to play in the televised stages in Berlin. However, before the main event started, he was suspended by the WPBSA, due to a match-fixing investigation and was subsequently withdrawn from the tournament.

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Welsh Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World OpenThe event was called the Haikou World Open (2012/2013–2013/2014)

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Grand Prix

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Players ChampionshipThe event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013)

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Tour Championship

|align="center" colspan="6" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Championship

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

colspan="20"|Non-ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shanghai Masters

|align="center" colspan="8" style="color:#555555;"|Ranking

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Champion of Champions

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Masters of Snooker

|align="center" colspan="11" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|The Masters

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WDZhao had initially been invited to play in the Masters, but was suspended by the WPBSA the week before the tournament started, due to a match-fixing investigation and was subsequently withdrawn from participating.

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Championship League

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

colspan="20"|Former ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Wuxi Classic

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Australian Goldfields Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shanghai Masters

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Paul Hunter Classic

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Minor-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Indian Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|China Open

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Riga MastersThe event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|China Championship

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|WST Pro Series

|align="center" colspan="8" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Turkish Masters

|align="center" colspan="9" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Gibraltar Open

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|WST Classic

|align="center" colspan="10" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|European Masters

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

colspan="20"|Former non-ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Macau Masters

|align="center" colspan="6" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Haining Open

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Hong Kong Masters

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|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
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)

| 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.