Snooker star breaks silence on 20-month ban and return before facing ex-world champion

Zhao Xintong returns to the main circuit this play aft serving a 20-month prohibition for his relation successful a match-fixing ungraded and has been handed a pugnacious gully successful the UK Championship

Snooker ace Zhao Xintong, who faced a 20-month suspension implicit match-fixing allegations, has shrugged disconnected the incidental arsenic "a small mistake".

The 27-year-old secured his spot successful the UK Championship and is acceptable to spell head-to-head with erstwhile world champion Shaun Murphy successful the opening round. The 2021 titleholder, who clinched triumph against Luca Brecel with a 10-5 score, was among 10 players caught up successful the corruption scandal.

Although Xintong didn't straight hole a match, helium admitted to being progressive with different subordinate who did and besides placed bets connected games. He is present gearing up for a large comeback astatine the York Barbican connected Saturday (November 23), wherever helium faces Murphy, the 2005 World Champion.

His instrumentality follows a decisive triumph implicit Ricky Walden astatine Leicester's Mattioli Arena, which secured his spot successful the championship. Reflecting connected his suspension, Xintong told the BBC: "Two years ago, I made a small mistake, present I've travel back.

"I cognize however important snooker is to maine and present I conscionable privation to travel backmost to the snooker array and get trophies. These are precise large lessons for me, it makes maine admit snooker more." When asked if helium was pressured into taking portion successful the scandal, helium said: "Little spot of unit made maine bash the incorrect happening astatine the incorrect time."

Xintong has won 2 Q Tour events since his prohibition expired successful September, and helium made headlines arsenic the archetypal subordinate to container a 147 connected that circuit. After battling done UK Championship qualifiers, Xintong - who had to vie arsenic an amateur - defeated Sunny Akanji, Jiang Jun, Noppon Saengkham, and Walden to unafraid his spot.

"This 2 years is precise agelong for me, I support practising each day," helium said. "I cognize I'll travel backmost truthful I request to support assured successful myself truthful if I play good I tin triumph anything. I support practising and conscionable request to travel back. I cognize it's precise hard, but I deliberation it made maine stronger. Later I volition beryllium stronger."

When asked astir Xintong's return, upcoming hostile Murphy, 42, insisted the subordinate had served his punishment and should beryllium allowed to absorption connected his snooker. He said: "Zhao Xintong obviously, precise famously won this lawsuit a fewer years agone and possibly much famously was portion of the 10 players banned for match-fixing problems.

"I deliberation it has to beryllium said that Zhao Xintong was astatine the precise little extremity of those bans; helium was ne'er accused of cheating oregon fixing immoderate matches. He did cognize astir it and that is, of course, against the rules."

"I'd accidental that's been a precise hard 18 months oregon truthful for him. He has served his clip and he's backmost competing. The occupation with Zhao Xintong is he's truly bloody good! That's the occupation with Xintong.

"It mightiness beryllium just to accidental he's done thing for 18 months but practice, helium looks very, precise sharp. He was caught, helium took his punishment connected the chin, admitted it consecutive away, paid each his fines and since past he's done everything right. There's an constituent of rehabilitation, truthful he's back."

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