Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship as the qualifier completed his stunning march to the title with a 18-12 victory against Mark Williams in the final on Monday. Advertisment Zhao Xintong makes history Zhao made history at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre by taking the seven frames he required to clinch the trophy after building a dominant 11-6 lead in Sunday's sessions. The 28-year-old was only China's second World Championship finalist, emulating Ding Junhui's run to the 2016 showpiece. AdvertismentBut while Ding was beaten by Mark Selby in the final nine years ago, Zhao produced a nerveless display to defeat three-time champion Williams. He banked £500,000 ($663,000) in prize money, earning immortality as Asia's first World Championship winner. "I can't believe what I've done. It's very exciting," Zhao said. Advertisment "I was so nervous tonight. Mark is still a top player and put me under so much pressure. He's the best." Zhao, who won the 2021 UK Championship, is one of the sport's most unexpected world champions. He has been playing as an amateur since September as he continues his comeback after a 20-month ban for involvement in a 2023 betting scandal. Zhao accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself in a controversy that led to 10 Chinese players being punished, with life bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang. Zhao's enforced amateur status meant he had to battle through four qualifying rounds just to reach the World Championship main draw at the Crucible, which is walking distance from his Sheffield home. Due to return to the main professional tour next season, Zhao is just the third player after Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy to win the title as a qualifier in the 48-year Crucible era. "It's been a brilliant tournament for me. But what a potter Zhao is. I'm glad I'll be too old when he's dominating the game," Williams said. "I've got nothing but admiration for what he's done, coming through the qualifiers. He hasn't played for two years, bashed everybody up. There's a new superstar of the game." ALSO READ | IPL 2025: When football meets cricket! Ex-ENG manager on his passion for gentlemen"s game While Zhao's story is startling, Asian snooker has been on the rise for several years. The sport is hugely popular in China, with a national snooker academy in Beijing training the country's best young players. Millions of Chinese fans were expected to tune into the final to witness Zhao's coronation. Only 12 months ago, Zhao was sitting at home watching the World Championship in the midst of his ban. But his road to redemption picked up speed with a blistering display to thrash seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 in the semi-finals last week. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.