A first for China and indeed Asia, Zhao’s success on Monday may have been applauded loudest in Shenzhen, where he was raised, and in Sheffield, the scene of the victory and his adoptive home. But the cueist nicknamed “The Cyclone” blew away his opponents with such force that it sent ripples right across the snooker map.
Excitement, admiration and a willingness to forgive were among the sentiments stirred, with beaten finalist Mark Williams saying it could “open floodgates everywhere”.
“He has entered the history books of this sport and in China he will probably be one of the biggest stars there,” Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, told the BBC.
“Snooker is so big in China. He is young, talented and entertaining and speaks both English and Mandarin. This is going to take snooker to another level.”
