Mark Williams will have to mount a fightback for the ages if he is to win his fourth world title, after succumbing to an outstanding display of snooker by Zhao Xintong, the rising star of the game, who has raced into a 7-1 lead in the final at The Crucible.
Zhao, who overwhelmed Ronnie O’Sullivan 17-7 in the semi-final, put on another masterclass of potting to establish a six-frame lead, punishing Williams for missed long shots in the early stages and settling the quicker of the two players with a century in the second frame.
After narrowly missing out in a cagey third frame, when his missed final black denied him the chance to halve the deficit, Williams clinched a scrappy fourth frame to trail 3-1 after the opening session.