Zhao Xintong dished out an historic 9-0 battering to his good friend Yan Bingtao in the final of the German Masters on Sunday, but the pair are so close that Zhao tried to reassure Yan during the match and they will be going for drinks on their return to the UK.
In only the second ever all-Chinese final of a ranking event, most expected a close contest between the practice partners and resident professionals at the Victoria Academy in Sheffield.
However, last month’s UK Championship winner made a mockery of those suggestions and secured only the third ever whitewash victory in a multi-session ranking final.
Zhao could tell that his friend was struggling with the pressure at the Tempodrom in Berlin and said he tried to calm him down at the interval when he had taken a 4-0 lead. A remarkable show of sportsmanship, with the pair battling it out for the £80,000 top prize.
‘It was a surprise for me tonight.’ Zhao told WST. ‘I couldn’t believe the scoreline was so one-sided. Bingtao is a good player and we know each other so well. I didn’t believe I could win 9-0, but I did it.
‘This is a nice venue and there are nice people here. Berlin is a good city and I really enjoyed it.
‘When I was 4-0 up at the mid-session this afternoon, I went out and talked to Bingtao. I could see he was under pressure. I said to him you don’t need to do this, you can play like it is a show. We are very friendly and I wanted it to be a show for the fans.’
Zhao added that he will be will be enjoying a few drinks with Yan when they get back to South Yorkshire on Monday, with the new champion presumably getting the rounds in.
‘Tomorrow is Chinese New Year and tonight we will go back to the UK,’ he said. ‘This tournament is very different for us because of the Chinese New Year and tomorrow we will maybe have a few drinks.’
Yan admitted after the match that he was struggling with pressure, and this showed in his performance with just one break over 50. Zhao was excellent but the former Masters champion was also well below par.
‘He played very well today,’ said Yan. ‘I was feeling a little bit of pressure and missed so many balls.
‘I enjoyed playing here with a very good friend. Every time I come to Berlin I really enjoy being here and I want to thank everyone who came today. Congratulations to Zhao. He played very well and is a dangerous player. We are like brothers and I wish all the best to him.’
Zhao also paid tribute to Yan in his post-match interview in the arena, saying: ‘Bingtao didn’t play well today, I got a chance, I’m lucky. We’re good friends, he’s a good man and I hope next time he’ll be champion.’
The performance of Zhao, not just in Berlin but in York last month, has earned him plenty of admirers, with Mark Williams tweeting: ‘What a player Xintong is apart from Ronnie, he’s the best to watch by a mile.’
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