On January 10th, the 6th stop of the Snooker European Tour Q TOUR kicked off, with Zhao Xintong making his New Year's debut against amateur player Deputel, who was playing at home.
Zhao Xintong was once a prominent figure in Chinese snooker, reaching the pinnacle by winning the UK Championship and German Masters titles, ranking in the world's TOP10, and enjoying a moment of fame. However, fate is unpredictable, and Zhao Xintong was subsequently involved in a Chinese snooker match-fixing scandal, resulting in a suspension and the loss of his professional status.
This season, Zhao Xintong made a comeback after his ban was lifted, starting from the Q TOUR of the European Tour. After a brief adaptation at the second stop, he achieved an impressive 24 consecutive victories from the third to the fifth stops, winning three consecutive titles and producing two maximum breaks of 147. His outstanding performance in the Q TOUR earned him a wildcard for the UK Championship, where he defeated four players - Song Sawat, Jiang Jun, Sangkham, and Ricky Walden - in the qualifying rounds to reach the main event. He played all 11 frames but narrowly lost 5-6 to World Champion Murphy.
At the 6th stop of the European Tour Q TOUR, Zhao Xintong only needed to reach the final to secure his professional status without relying on anyone else. The relatively unknown Deputel was no match for Zhao, and the Chinese 90s player lived up to expectations, scoring single-stroke points of 89, 61, and 53 to swiftly win 3-0. This victory marked his 25th consecutive win, securing a grand start to the year 2025!