Zhao Xintong won the third event of the 2024/25 WPBSA Q Tour Europe series at Snookerhallen in Stockholm, Sweden, and made the first 147 in the tour's history.
China's 27-year-old Zhao edged out Craig Steadman 4-3 in the final, having made eight centuries in his eight matches over three days. On Saturday, Zhao became the first player to make a 147 break on the Q Tour, which was first staged in 2021. The perfect break came in the fifth frame of his last 64 round tie against 14-year-old Shaun Liu to complete a 4-1 victory.
He went on to beat Luke Pinches 4-1, Peter Lines 4-1, Nicolas Mortreux 4-0 and Mateusz Baranowski 4-0 to reach the final. Breaks of 112 and 136 helped give Zhao a 3-2 lead, before Steadman levelled with a run of 93. A break of 82 in the decider gave Zhao the trophy.
It's a significant step towards a return to the pro tour for Zhao, who won the UK Championship in 2021 and German Masters in 2022. He joins Andres Petrov and Dylan Emery as winners of events on the Q Tour Europe so far this season. The top-ranked player after the seven events will earn a World Snooker Tour card, with the next 16 to go into the Q Tour Global Playoff. For all details click here.
Zhao said: “Coming to Sweden, I just wanted to get used to this feeling of playing in tournaments again. I wasn’t aiming to be the champion but I just wanted to get back to playing competitively. I think my scoring in the last few days is within my capability and I know I can score well. I will select which events I want to play in on the Q Tour but right now it is all about getting that tournament feeling and I am pleased to be getting that feeling back.”