The victories of Wu Yize and Zhao Xintong at the World Championships will help boost the growth of snooker in China, while removing the stench of corruption and match-fixing, sports analysts believe.
Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Association of Billiards and Snooker Professionals, previously suggested the enthusiasm that greeted Wu’s victory over Shaun Murphy could help the sport’s Olympic aspirations.
And Django Fung, who manages the best players, including world number 2 Neil Robertson and Murphy, said the victory also shows that China is about to enter the era of dominating the game.
Zhao was one of 10 Chinese players suspended following an investigation into corruption in the game. He served a 20-month ban before returning to win the World Championship in 2025.
“Yes, it will remove bad memories and it will be forgotten eventually,” Hongkonger Fung said. “Time can heal everything. There were life bans, and long bans for some of the players involved.
“There were also short bans, and for some of the players who came back, they did really well, so it will be fine.”
