Zhao Xintong lost 8-10 to Kyren Wilson in 2026 snooker semi-finals, missing the final after blowing a lead. The 2025 world champion vows to bounce back in upcoming events.
8 to 10. The moment the numbers on the Shanghai Sports Arena scoreboard froze, Zhao Xintong’s hand holding the cue stiffened for a moment, then hung limply at his side, still maintaining the arc of his follow-through from just a moment before.
For two consecutive years, he lost to Karen Wilson in the semifinals, falling short of the final and failing to advance any further.
Before the tournament, almost everyone expected him to advance to the final. He had just defeated Ding Junhui in the round of 16 and went on to shut out Neil Robertson 6–0 in the quarterfinals, proving he was in top form. He himself made it clear before the match that he was fully prepared and that his goal was to secure a spot in the final.At the end of the first two sessions of the semifinal, he held an 8–6 lead and a match point, with his offense flowing smoothly and every sign that he was on track to win the title.
No one expected his form to suddenly drop off in the final four frames, as he made a series of defensive errors and scored only 40 points across those four frames. In contrast, Wilson played strongly in each frame, racking up a total of 298 points across the four frames to complete the comeback and secure the victory.After the match, Zhao Xintong admitted that his opponent had outperformed him on both offense and defense throughout the match, and that his shot selection and execution at critical moments still left room for improvement.
In 2022, Zhao Xintong was suspended for violating regulations, causing his world ranking to be reset to zero and plummet to rock bottom. At the time, it was widely believed that the career of this once-promising snooker prodigy was over.No one expected that during his suspension, he would spend eight hours a day training in the practice room, deliberately working to refine his impulsive on-table temperament. After his suspension was lifted, he started from the lower-tier tournaments, building up points from scratch, and gradually clawed his way back to the top. Ultimately, in 2025, he won the World Championship,returning to the pinnacle of professional snooker.
While it’s certainly a shame that he fell short in the semifinals this time, anyone with a keen eye can see that he is no longer the reckless youngster who used to lose six consecutive games the moment he faced pressure; this time, he managed to regain his composure after losing just four consecutive games.Through day-in, day-out training and competition, he has gradually honed and filled in the gaps in the mental resilience required of a top-tier player, as well as the tactical finesse that he previously lacked.
Several domestic snooker ranking tournaments are set to begin one after another, and Zhao Xintong himself has stated that he will get back into shape as soon as possible to compete in the upcoming events.Having once climbed back from the lowest point of his career, he won’t let this semi-final exit slow him down. The next time he faces Wilson, he will make up for this disappointment sooner or later.
