Former UK Champion Zhao Xintong and compatriot Zhang Jiankang are the latest players to be suspended from snooker in a match-fixing investigation that has rocked the sport. The duo have taken the total number of players temporarily banned by snooker bosses up to a staggering ten, after eight other Chinese players were hit with suspensions before the New Year.
World No.9 Zhao, the 2021 UK Championship winner and reigning German Masters champion, is the highest ranked professional to be barred from competition in the biggest match-fixing probe in the sport’s history.
The 25-year-old had been due to play Mark Selby in the Masters first round on Sunday, but it is now unclear whether he will take part at Alexandra Palace with players typically allowed 14 days to appeal suspensions.
Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao has already had his place taken in the draw by then world no.17 David Gilbert after he was suspended as part of the investigation on December 12. And Iranian Hossein Vafaei could be in line to replace Zhao in the draw at the prestigious invitational tournament in North London if the young left-hander cannot take part.
The latest bans for Zhao and world no.82 Zhang have thrown the sport into further chaos as the pair joined fellow Chinese stars Yan, Liang Wenbo, Lu Ning, Li Hang, Bai Langning, Chang Bingyu and Zhao Jianbo and Chen Zifan on the sidelines.
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WPBSA boss Ferguson had confirmed earlier this week that he hoped that the unprecedented investigation would soon reach its conclusion. “It’s progressing quickly, we were already quite a long way down the road before I had to take the decision to suspend a number of players,” he told Metro.co.uk.
“Watch this space, we’re moving it on as quickly as possible. There is no limit on time for suspensions, but there are limits in terms of fairness to the players themselves and to the sport. We want to move this on very, very quickly.
“We’re pushing as hard as we can because this type of thing is very damaging and we have to prove to the public that it’s dealt with, that we can take swift action.”
