BBC snooker pundit 'hasn't forgiven' Zhao Xintong as old photo emerges

pundit Ken Doherty said that he hasn't forgiven after the finalist beat him over a decade ago. The Chinese potter is the youngest player to reach the showpiece in 14 years and his takeover has been brewing for some time.

Aside from an opening-round tie with at the , Zhao has been playing his first professional matches of the season in Sheffield. He is an amateur playing, , but previously won the UK Championship in 2021 and has been a promising talent for several years.

As a part of snooker's boom in China, a series of exhibitions were organised and top professionals were pitted against some of the country's biggest talents.

That included Zhao, who played against , , Williams and Doherty, as the BBC put a photo of the two finalists against each other on air, taken when Zhao was just 13.

He beat both Williams and Doherty, as BBC host explained the throwback image: "An absolutely stellar start from Zhao Xintong, it's his fifth century of the Championship and it has put us in mind of some previous events over the years. This has actually been posted by Victoria Shi who looks after Zhao Xintong at the Victoria Shi snooker academy.

"The first time they (Zhao and Mark Williams) met? An exhibition organised for Mark in China, Xintong won 2-1, making a century break and he was 13. Gentleman (Davis and Doherty), you both suffered at his hand when he was a teenager too."

Doherty then replied, jokingly claiming that he still holds a grudge over the matter: "I know and I haven't forgiven him since. But even at that age you could see what a prodigious and ferocious talent he was going to turn out to be and he has proven that. And how well he played in that frame, how gracious, he is full of grace when he moves around the table.

"But a big mistake from Mark Williams there (in the fifth frame), he didn't see the plant (red from the pack into middle-right pocket), he didn't look at it and left it when he was forced into taking that red. But he should have got down and had a look at it. But the way he (Zhao) took those balls was incredible."

Zhao also beat Williams that day and threatened to do the same over a decade later on the biggest stage of all. He and will be hoping to finish the job on Bank Holiday Monday.