Mark Williams has given his verdict on Zhao Xintong's potential impact on snooker following his World Championship final defeat.
Mark Williams had nothing but praise for Zhao Xintong after the World Championship final
Mark Williams has sided with Stephen Hendry over Ronnie O’Sullivan amid a long-running debate about the future of snooker. Given the soaring profile of darts due to the exploits of Luke Littler over the last 18 months, many have wondered whether snooker needs a player to make a similar impact.
While he is a decade older than Littler, new world champion Zhao Xintong, 28, could be that man due to his attacking style of play, according to Crucible runner-up Williams. The 50-year-old was full of praise for the Chinese sensation after his 17-12 defeat, saying he had “nothing but admiration for him”. Williams told talkSPORT: "To do what he's done, he's been out for two years [serving a suspension after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal], come back, pretty much won every game from the qualifying past everyone in the main tournament, is just an incredible achievement.
"I haven't got enough nice words to say about him. He's just brilliant to watch, pots for fun, makes breaks and good luck to him.
"I think he can earn a few quid out of this. I think everyone's just got to get behind him and just watch him because he could dominate or at least give [Judd] Trump or Kyren [Wilson] a run for his money.
"I think it's needed as well with the Luke Littler thing in darts. I think this is what snooker needed, someone like him to come through. The way he plays is just effortless."
That opinion is at odds with the opinion of seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, who insists the sports can’t be compared. The Rocket said last year: "With snooker, there's so many in-between shots, there's so much to learn, there's so much safety.
Williams says Zhao could be Luke Littler of snooker
"In darts, once you get the action right, it should in theory go where you want. If you make it to the final here [at the Crucible], you’re playing one match for maybe around 10 hours. Whereas in darts, you’re only playing for maybe an hour to two hours. It’s really different.”
However, another seven-time world champion, Hendry, is on the same page as Williams. Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast this season, he admitted the sport needed someone new to take centre stage like Littler.
He said: "I personally do think the sport needs someone like that, because all these players, the standard is incredible but I think the sport does need someone – a teenager – that's a genius. I can only see it coming from China. But there's some fantastic European talent. Stan Moody looks a good prospect. I just think it's so hard.
"Whoever it's going to be, they need to be very fortunate. It all needs to go for them. It would have to be the world championships."
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