Zhao talks about O’Sullivan’s leadership, pool goals and love life in Sheffield

Zhao Xitong has made great strides in the upper ranks of snooker over the past year, but while he’s aiming for the higher echelons of the sport, he’s currently focusing on continuing to put pressure on him.

The 25-year-old performed brilliantly at the UK Championship and German Masters last season, finishing his sixth campaign in the world and winning his first match at Kruibl.

Reaching the single-seeded semi-finals before the British victory was a perfect boost for the Chinese star, who began to show the immense talent he has always displayed.

Zhao recalls the decisive victory over John Higgins in the UK Championships which greatly boosted his confidence as he was another member of the class of 1992 which had an even bigger impact on his career.

Ronnie O’Sullivan takes Zhao under his wing, giving him advice and revealing it to Cyclone, as evidenced when Rocket watched all three of their games in the Championship League last week. I chose to have a great interest.

“He is a very nice person and he really helped me this year,” Zhao told him. Metro.es ..

“In the Champions League, he watched my game and told me where to improve and where to learn. He said I played well. That’s great.”

“It’s mainly mental help. Before asking him: How can I control the match and put pressure on my opponents?”

“When I was playing in the Champions League, he told me that I answered the question. If you play well, you will have confidence and your opponent will feel pressure.”

O’Sullivan has a great influence on Zhao. Nova focuses more on playing like a world champion than the World Cup title itself.

A natural, fluid and incredible attacking player, Zhao believes that having fun and focusing on playing what he wants will bring him the title.

Rum is amazing. He is the best player, the legend, the best player. I want to play like him in the future, Zhao continued.

“I don’t want to think about the World Cup. Play like him, enjoy billiards and make people happy.”

“I don’t want to think about the title. If I play well, I think the title is easy. I have to do better. It is important to train and play better than last year. no problem winning.

“Now it’s just the beginning. I need more training, more tournaments, more games to win and I have more confidence.”

Although he doesn’t try to focus on trophies, Zhao certainly wants more titles to his name, so his wonderful last season is not wasted.

Enjoy the spotlight and pressure of your success so far and look forward to more.

“I don’t just want to win the first title, I don’t want to win for a few years. I want to win more games,” he said.

“He wanted to be the best and world champion in the world, so before it was different, but he didn’t know how it felt.

Now I understand a little, and there is more pressure. I think it is normal. If you want to be famous and successful, you have to take advantage of it. And I enjoy it, I’m so happy when everyone knows me.

“I feel more pressure, but I’m enjoying it now. I don’t know the future. I may win more titles and more pressure, but I’m enjoying it now.”

When Zhao is singing, he certainly doesn’t seem to feel much pressure on his hands, sliding around the table and making the break building look comfortable.

It may not be as easy as it seems for him, but he believes it is the love of the game that makes it so easy.

“Snooker makes me happy. When I play snooker, I feel comfortable and confident,” he said.

“I play fast, so I think people think it’s easy without thinking too much, but it’s not easy.”

The Chinese number one, a resident of the city most closely associated with Snooker and Sheffield, fell to Stephen Magwire in the last 16 after defeating Jamie Clark in the first round of Crucible earlier this year.

After all, he was disappointed, but he enjoyed victory at the most iconic venue in the sport and he didn’t want the World Cup to leave the real and spiritual home of Snooker.

“I was very happy and enjoyed it,” Zhao said of his Crucible experience. “I think Sheffield is the best place, the best place, the home of snooker is here and the best tournaments should be in Sheffield.

“I’ve lived here for 6 years. I think Sheffield is a good city. Every time I go to another city or country for a week or 10 days, I want to come back to Sheffield. That’s me. It’s home to.

Sheffield has friends. This is pretty. I bought a new apartment near the city center. “

Sheffield also hosts Zhao’s training base, the Victoria Academy, where he plays with Yang Bin Tao and Hwang Chen Yi.

In recent years, these three young Chinese stars have enjoyed great success and, thanks to the atmosphere and setting of Sheffield Pitch, Zhao is hoping for even more.

“The Victoria Academy is very good. We train here every day. It’s not that big, but it’s very friendly,” he said. We play with each other every day. Very friendly.

‘We help each other. If I play well, I think they can do it with confidence. I won the British Championship because Bin Tao won the Masters. It reassures us all, it’s great.

“They will win more tournaments, everyone will win here. Ashley Hugill is better than ever. She played in the World Cup this year against Neil Robertson. She really played well. She can do it.”

Zhao has done that and appears to be doing more as the game continues with tireless practice and the influence of the world champion.

He mentions a lot of pressure, dealing with it and making the right decisions on a shot is what he considers the last piece of a puzzle. If he can do that, the rest of the tour may be in trouble.

When you play against the best player, you are 50-50 to win the match, but you have to calm down and it is very difficult. It’s not easy, he said.

As Ronnie said, the most important thing in snooker is not the snooker, but the control of your mind and spirit.

“I just want to enjoy the game and win every game, but I don’t think much after that.”

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