Stephen Hendry reckons one player will be fuming with Zhao Xintong’s World Championship win

Zhao Xintong made history by becoming China’s first world champion (Picture: Getty Images)

Stephen Hendry reckons Ding Junhui could be far from happy that Zhao Xintong has become China’s first world champion, at least that’s how he’d feel if he was in Ding’s shoes.

Zhao sensationally won the World Snooker Championship title on Monday night, comfortably beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the Crucible final.

After returning from a 20-month ban from the sport, Zhao entered in the first round of qualifying, winning four matches just to reach the Crucible.

There he beat Jak Jones, Lei Peifan, Chris Wakelin and Ronnie O’Sullivan before downing Williams in the final.

It was an historic night for snooker and a huge moment for the sport in China, but Hendry reckons the country’s long-time flagbearer will be fuming that someone beat him to the achievement.

Ding has been the shining light of Chinese snooker since he became a superstar with his win at the 2005 China Open, but he has never won the big one.

Seven-time world champion Hendry knows how he would be feeling if he was in Ding’s position, and it is not great.

Ding Junhui has been to a Crucible final but never won the world title (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It’ll be really interesting to see what Ding’s thinking,’ Hendry said on the Snooker Club podcast.

‘He’s been the benchmark for Chinese snooker. He will be fuming. If it was me I’d be fuming.

‘The fact is that Ding is snooker in China, Ding Junhui is snooker. Overnight he is not Mr Snooker anymore. It might spur him on, who knows, but it’s something that’s going to be difficult for him to handle, actually.’

He added: ‘If it was me, I’m Ding Junhui, I’m not happy tonight. I don’t know Ding well, maybe he’s close to Zhao and he’s delighted for him. But if it was me I’m thinking: “I’m not happy that I’ve had so many years to do it, I haven’t managed to do it, this guy’s come along after being out of the game for two years and just done it, qualified and done it.”

‘He’s now the man in China. There’s a huge exhibition circuit, huge invitational tournament circuit apart from the ranking tournaments. Ding has to be there, Ding has to be involved, Ding is often one of the co-promoter and it’s all about Ding. It’s not going to be like that.

‘There’s a whole new outlook to it now, so it will be interesting to see the dynamics.’

Zhao is set for a huge boost in earnings (Picture: Getty Images)

Hendry and Ding may well not share the same attitude as the 38-year-old posted a nice message of congratulations to Zhao after his huge win.

Ding wrote on social media: ‘Congratulations to Zhao Xintong for winning the World Championship.

‘I said before: “I am very happy to see that the threshold I broke in the past has now become everyone’s runway!” And today, someone finally reached the finish line on this runway! This moment of glory is the best reward for the Chinese fans who have been supporting Chinese snooker and waiting for this day!

‘The darkness we once walked through, it was all so that people could see the light.

Ding won his 15th ranking title in the season just gone (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Today Zhao Xintong did it! What he won is the shared dream of generations of Chinese snooker players. I’m happy for you and proud of the rise of Chinese strength!’

Zhao replied: ‘Thank you Brother Hui for your persistence and breakthroughs in those years. It enabled us to continue running on a wider track today.’

Whether Ding is happy about it or not, Hendry says Zhao is now an enormous star in China thanks to becoming world champion and will reap huge financial rewards.

‘He’s going to be an absolute megastar,’ said the Scot. ‘He’s a good looking kid, it’s the perfect image.

‘I can’t even think how much money he’s going to earn. I heard the sort of money Ding was earning in China and he wasn’t a world champion. Zhao Xintong has got a very nice future ahead of him. In China now, the sky’s the limit for what’s going to happen over there.’