{"id":7182,"date":"2026-04-18T06:15:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T06:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7182"},"modified":"2026-04-18T06:15:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T06:15:44","slug":"can-zhao-xintong-dominate-snooker-john-higgins-neil-robertson-and-mark-selby-weigh-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7182","title":{"rendered":"Can Zhao Xintong dominate snooker? John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Mark Selby weigh in"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Zhao Xintong is looking to conquer the snooker world again (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Zhao Xintong prepares to defend his World Championship title, his sparkling form in recent months has suggested he could be entering a spell of snooker dominance.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old breezed to his first world title a year ago, not really pushed at the Crucible, even by legendary forces Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan and Mark Williams.<\/p>\n

After becoming world champ, he had a slow start to the season but has sparked into life spectacularly over the last couple of months.<\/p>\n

The Cyclone won the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, Players Championship in Telford and Tour Championship in Manchester, completing a remarkable treble of the Players Series events.<\/p>\n

He arrives at the Crucible as favourite to lift the trophy again and break the Crucible curse, with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry believing he can take the game to a new level.<\/p>\n

Hendry was the last player to truly dominate the game, reeling off seven World Championship wins in 10 years from 1990-99, similar to Steve Davis landing six world titles in nine years in the 80s.<\/p>\n

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You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In my new newsletter, The Table, I’ll be analysing the biggest talking points, breaking down frames and crowning the week’s winners and losers every Monday.<\/p>\n

The World Championship is here, so there’s no better time to sign up.<\/p>\n

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Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade, since working in World Snooker’s press office in 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Could Zhao reach that kind of dominance now? His rivals weigh in.<\/p>\n

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John Higgins has played Zhao Xintong five times this season (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John Higgins<\/h2>\n

\u2018I think he is one special player that would have more of a chance than most to dominate this game,\u2019 said Higgins.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t think it would ever be dominated the same way maybe Davis did, or Hendry, but a certain level of domination, the way [Judd] Trump has done in the last few years, I definitely think Xintong could match that.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mark Selby<\/h2>\n

\u2018He is at the moment isn\u2019t he? What he\u2019s achieving at the moment is phenomenal,\u2019 Selby told Metro<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

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Mark Selby lost to Zhao at the World Grand Prix (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Obviously doing it here [the Crucible] is different. Rightly so people are saying he could beat the Crucible curse. He\u2019s definitely in with a shout, but the curse is there for a reason. You look at all the world class players who have won it: Hendry, Higgins, Williams, Ronnie and they\u2019ve not gone back-to-back. It\u2019ll be tough. <\/p>\n

\u2018Hopefully he doesn\u2019t. Obviously for him he wants to dominate the game, but for everyone else it\u2019s nice to see different winners.\u2019<\/p>\n

Neil Robertson<\/h2>\n

\u2018I think there\u2019s a little window now in terms of the tour moving forward will not have to deal with a rampaging O\u2019Sullivan, Williams and Higgins like they have done in the past,\u2019 said Robertson. <\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re all still super strong, some of the best players in the world, but Ronnie doesn\u2019t play in every event so there\u2019s been a lot more windows for players to win events. So there\u2019s been a little bit of a drop-off in terms of running into them in a semi-final or a final, it doesn\u2019t happen as frequently as it used to. <\/p>\n

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Neil Robertson can\u2019t see another Davis or Hendry emerge (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018But the strength of the tour is also so much stronger now, in the first round you\u2019re playing someone who\u2019s capable of making three centuries in a row against you. So pros and cons.<\/p>\n

\u2018In terms of dominance\u2026no I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll see someone win four, five, six world titles in seven or eight years like Hendry did. I don\u2019t see that happening. <\/p>\n

\u2018If you look at Xintong\u2019s tournaments he\u2019s won this year, he\u2019s had a few banana skins, close moments when he should have been beat. <\/p>\n

\u2018He could be a dominant player, I think he probably will be a<\/em> dominant player, but there\u2019s a lot of players who feel they\u2019ll be the same. People like Judd and Kyren [Wilson], even myself, I still feel great physically and mentally. Selby, Shaun [Murphy], there\u2019s still a lot of great opposition out there.\u2019<\/p>\n

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