Watch the moment Zhao Xintong plays 'the best shot I've ever seen' against John Higgins at Tour Championship
Published 04/04/2026 at 18:45 GMT+1
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John Higgins could do little but watch in admiration as Zhao Xintong produced an outstanding performance in the first session of their Tour Championship semi-final. The Chinese star went into the break with an 8-0 lead, finishing off with a century break. But it was a shot in the sixth frame of the match that truly caught the eye, with Alan McManus hailing it as the best he had ever witnessed.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Zhao Xintong was dominant in the first session of his Tour Championship semi-final against John Higgins.
Aiming to book his place in Sunday's final against Judd Trump, the reigning world champion proved too strong for his Scottish opponent in Manchester.
It was a display of unerring consistency from Zhao, who repeatedly made breaks of more than 60 and raced into an 8-0 lead before the interval.
And one shot in particular from the 29-year-old stood out as the Chinese star pulled off an audacious long pot in the sixth frame, despite half the pocket being covered by a red.
Former player and regular TNT Sports pundit Alan McManus made clear his admiration.
"He has been amazing again," he told Channel 5. "How do you hurt him on the table and how do you get to him mentally?
"There is one shot in particular I believe is the best shot I've ever seen. It was that good. He only has half a pocket, but he barely hits the cue ball. It is mesmerising.
"You run out of things to say. I am glad I was not in the comms box as you would not know what to say."
Former UK champion Matthew Stevens also hailed the quality of the shot.
"He only had half a pocket to aim at," the Welshman said. "It is just like a laser. It is unbelievable. He is like a machine. It is fantastic to watch."
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On Zhao's overall performance, Stevens said: "He is like watching a computer game. He literally does not miss anything easy, his long potting puts you in all sorts of pressure to get good safety.
"He just keeps knocking them in. You run out of things to say about him."
Zhao did not hit his first century of the semi-final until the eighth frame, but he allowed Higgins barely a sniff beforehand.
A 104 break in the last frame before the end of the afternoon session rounded off an ominous display from a player looking to win his first Tour Championship title.
Trump was too good for Neil Robertston in Friday's first semi-final, winning 10-4 despite concerns around his cue tip.
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