Zhao Xintong defeats Ronnie O'Sullivan in Macau snooker exhibition after being handed Champion of Champions 'Group of Death' draw
By Desmond Kane
Published 02/11/2025 at 07:34 GMT
React to this story
The Champion of Champions in Leicester later this month has thrown up a classic sporting 'Group of Death' with Zhao Xintong and Kyren Wilson, the past two winners of the World Championship, drawn in Group 3 alongside new Northern Ireland Open winner Jack Lisowski and English Open champion Mark Allen at the city's Mattioli Arena. World No. 4 Mark Williams defends the coveted invitational trophy.
'Let's hope it is the start of something' - Lisowski lifts Alex Higgins Trophy
Video credit: TNT Sports
Zhao Xintong produced two centuries on his way to a 4-2 warm-up win over Ronnie O'Sullivan in a lucrative exhibition match in the Chinese city of Macau on Friday night as he warmed up for a hectic few weeks ahead.
World champion Zhao was handed a tough draw at the Champions of Champions in Leicester, the annual invitational event taking place between November 10-16 at the city's Mattioli Arena, with Mark Allen his opening opponent in Group Three.
The winner of that contest will take on 2024 Crucible winner Kyren Wilson or new Northern Ireland Open winner Jack Lisowski for a semi-final slot in a section that is probably the toughest of the 16-player event.
Defending champion Mark Williams meets world seniors champion Alfie Burden in his tournament opener, with Mark Selby taking on Stephen Maguire in the other Group 1 contest.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Judd Trump confronts women's world champion Bai Yulu for the right to face Masters holder Shaun Murphy or Lei Peifan in the best-of-11 frame Group 2 final.
The remaining section sees Neil Robertson and Tom Ford meet for the right to take on John Higgins or Xiao Guodong, last year's runner-up, in the Group 4 final.
All group winners advance to the last four with Williams or Selby in line to face a semi-final with Robertson or Higgins and Judd Trump and Wilson the top seeds in the bottom half.
It had been announced last week that the final two spots in the 16-player invitational event would be allocated to the winner of the Northern Ireland Open and the highest player on the two-year list in the sport's rankings after the Belfast event.
Lisowski earned his invite by securing the first ranking title of his career last Sunday with an epic 9-8 final win over world No. 1 Trump at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
But it is unclear if O'Sullivan, a record four-time winner of the event, rejected his invite to participate, with the qualification criteria appearing to suggest Ding Junhui would be allocated a place as world No. 8, the next highest-ranked player in the sport who had not yet secured a spot on the starting grid.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/11/10/4060758-82352813-2560-1440.jpg)
Home hero Ding beats Wakelin to end five-year wait for ranking title
Video credit: TNT Sports
That appeared to alter on Thursday when the criteria for entry was changed to include Burden, with Ding - last year's International Championship winner, courtesy of a 10-7 final win over Chris Wakelin - missing out completely.
Despite the title of the elite event, earning a spot in the Champions of Champions via world rankings is nothing new, with Murphy and Luca Brecel both gaining access to last year's event via a similar route.
The winner of the World Seniors Championship had been last omitted from the competition in 2018 when Aaron Canvavan of Jersey did not receive an invite.
"The final two spots were filled by Jack Lisowski, who captured his first-ever ranking title at the 2025 Northern Ireland Open, and Alfie Burden, who earned his invitation as the 2025 World Seniors Champion," said promoters on the official tournament website.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/10/26/image-28287f09-1b98-4d26-ad85-558a01c93222-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Make no mistake, he wants to win' - TNT Sports panel’s Triple Crown predictions
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Their inclusion completes a world-class field representing the very best of both established and emerging snooker excellence."
Dubai-based seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has suggested he will not participate in the Masters at Alexandra Palace in London in January, and it was also doubtful if the Champion of Champions would have been part of his reduced playing schedule in the UK.
He is due to take on Allan Taylor in his opening match at the International Championship in Nanjing, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, on Sunday morning at 6am UK time.
- O'Sullivan set to mark seventh anniversary of key moment in golden career
- 'Unbelievably beautiful' - Hendry offers Lisowski key advice after landmark title win
- International Championship: How to watch, schedule and is O'Sullivan playing?
Zhao also takes to the main table at the same time to open his campaign against Oliver Brown.
Ding, twice a semi-finalist at the Champion of Champions, earned a Champions of Champions spot as the International Championship winner last year, but the winner of this year's competition does not gain a spot in Leicester.
New Xi'an Grand Prix champion Williams defends the trophy following his 10-6 win over Xiao in last year's final in Bolton.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/10/26/image-8564b5c2-ad5b-42b2-a250-f793901b4323-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Trump and Lisowski feature in Northern Ireland Open Shots of the Tournament
Video credit: TNT Sports
Champion of Champions final line-up
- Mark Williams (Wal) - Defending champion, Xi'an Grand Prix champion
- Zhao Xintong (Chn) - World champion
- Judd Trump (Eng) - World No. 1, UK champion
- Shaun Murphy (Eng) - Masters champion, British Open champion
- Neil Robertson (Aus) - World Grand Prix winner, Saudi Arabia Masters champion
- Mark Allen (NI) - English Open champion
- Kyren Wilson (Eng) - Players champion, German Masters champion, Shanghai Masters champion
- John Higgins (Sco) - World Open champion, Tour champion
- Xiao Guodong (Chn) - Wuhan Open champion
- Mark Selby (Eng) - Welsh Open champion, Championship League winner
- Lei Peifan (Chn) - Scottish Open champion
- Stephen Maguire (Sco) - Championship League winner
- Bai Yulu (Chn) - Women's world champion
- Tom Ford (Eng) - Shoot Out champion
- Jack Lisowski - Northern Ireland Open winner
- Alfie Burden - World Seniors champion
- - -
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the International Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement