Players Championship: Zhao Xintong produces commanding finish to beat John Higgins

Zhao Xintong produced a commanding finish to beat John Higgins 10-7 and win the Players Championship in Telford.

With little between the pair throughout a close encounter, Chinese world champion Zhao took control at 7-6 down, winning four straight frames to clinch his second straight ranking title.

The 28-year-old’s victory follows his triumph at the World Grand Prix earlier this month and he becomes the fourth player to win all of his first five ranking finals, following Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson.

Zhao’s win also prevented four-time world champion John Higgins from become the oldest winner of a ranking event at the age of 50.

“I’m sure my kids are lucky that they’ve watched somebody like Xintong because he is an absolute genius,” said Scotland’s Higgins

“The last three frames there it was absolutely poetry in motion. I think he’ll be the man to beat at the World Championship this year.”

In a first session with multiple swings of momentum, Higgins opened up a 2-0 lead before Zhao drew level.

Zhao went ahead for the first time to go 4-3 up, before Higgins won the next frame with a score of 90 to even the contest.

The pair continued to trade frames into the evening session before Zhao took control with successive centuries from 7-6 down as he went into the lead, before going on to see out the match with ease.