Zhao says he ‘will never surpass’ Ding after knocking him out of World Snooker Championship
Defending champion hails ‘special match’ against his idol, will face former champion Shaun Murphy in quarter-finals at the Crucible
Zhao Xintong said he would never surpass the achievements of his idol Ding Junhui in promoting snooker in China after knocking him out of the World Snooker Championship.
The defending champion, who is looking to become the first first-time winner to retain the world title at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, beat his compatriot 13-9 on Sunday after Ding had pulled to within one frame at 9-8.
But Zhao, the world No 4, quickly snuffed out any danger by taking four of the next five frames, including a break of 108 in the penultimate frame that helped seal a last-eight clash with Shaun Murphy.
“I said I wanted to enjoy the match [with Ding] before it started, and not to give myself any pressure, but that was not the reality,” Zhao said. “This was a very special match for us that everybody knows about and wants to keep an eye on.
“It was very different last year when I was a nobody. This year I just don’t want to lose any match so it feels very different.”
