World snooker champion Zhao Xintong will meet his childhood idol - and former world No 1 - Ding Junhui in a hotly anticipated all-Chinese second round match in the 2026 World Snooker Championship in the UK city of Sheffield on Friday.⁣ ⁣ Zhao became the first player from Asia to win the world title last year. He told CGTN’s Li Jianhua he wouldn’t take victory for granted against the man he described as “his idol.”⁣ ⁣ Ding, playing at the Crucible for the 20th consecutive year, said Zhao could break all Chinese snooker records. ⁣ ⁣ A record 11 Chinese players qualified for the main 32-strong draw this year. ⁣ ⁣ #snooker #china #zhao #ding #zhaoxintong #dingjunhui #wst #crucible