China’s Zhao Xintong has advanced to the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions 2025 tournament after a dramatic 6-5 victory over Kyren Wilson in a thrilling black-ball decider at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.

Zhao Xintong’s Comeback Against Kyren Wilson

Zhao, who earlier this year became China’s first-ever World Snooker Champion, initially surged to a 3-1 lead. However, Wilson fought back strongly, winning the next four frames with impressive breaks of 104 and 120, leaving the match poised at 5-3 in the Englishman’s favor.

Showing resilience, Zhao responded by winning the next two frames, including his first century break of the match, to level the contest at 5-5. The decider was a tense affair: Zhao opened with a break of 58, but Wilson responded with a 54, leaving the winner to be decided by the black ball. Zhao seized the opportunity and calmly potted the black to secure a hard-fought win.

“When I was 3-1 up, I missed a few shots and he came out to go 5-3,” Zhao admitted to ITV. “I was just thinking I don’t want him to win so easily. I was a little lucky in the last two frames and got away with a couple of misses.”

Zhao to Face Judd Trump in Semi-Finals

With his victory over Wilson, Zhao will now face world number one Judd Trump in the semi-finals of the 16-player invitational non-ranking event. The match promises to be a high-quality encounter between two of snooker’s top stars.

Zhao’s Earlier Dominant Performance

Zhao’s journey to the last four began with a commanding 4-0 win over Mark Allen in the opening round. Allen, from Northern Ireland, managed just a single point in four frames as Zhao produced breaks of 60, 78, and 76 to secure a comfortable victory.

Wilson had reached the quarter-finals after a nail-biting 4-3 win over Jack Lisowski. Lisowski had staged a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to level the match, but Wilson clinched the win with a crucial 122 break in the decider.

Champion of Champions 2025: What’s Next

The semi-finals of the Champion of Champions 2025 are shaping up to be an exciting showdown, with Zhao Xintong facing Judd Trump, while the other semi-final will determine the remaining finalist from the remaining quarter-finalists. Zhao’s confidence and form, particularly after winning the World Championship, make him a serious contender to lift the trophy.