Zhao Xintong v Mark Allen live stream | Players Championship 2026 preview

Zhao Xintong looks to remain on course for back-to-back titles when he faces Mark Allen in the Players Championship semi-finals on Saturday.

The second of the last-four clashes at the Telford International Centre will be a battle of the left-handers, with John Higgins awaiting the winner in Sunday’s showpiece.

Zhao is currently riding the crest of a wave, having recently claimed his first ranking title as reigning World champion at the World Grand Prix.

Yet the Cyclone, who also triumphed at the invitational Riyadh Season Championship in November, looked set for an early exit at 5-2 down against Elliot Slessor in round one.

However, he rallied with breaks of 117, 62, 59 and 65 to reel off the last four frames and scrape over the line.

Zhao then went five of the last six frames from 2-1 down against Shaun Murphy, making contributions of 142, 95 and 118 on the way to a 6-3 victory.

The Chinese was a 4-0 winner in his most recent meeting with Allen at this season’s Champion of Champions.

The Pistol is aiming to add to the Players Championship crown he won in 2024, as well as his triumph during the Players Tour Championship Finals era eight years earlier.

Allen, the winner of this season’s English Open, began the week with breaks of 51, 78, 73 and 93 during a 6-3 win over Wu Yize.

The former UK and Masters champion then had contributions of 70, 67, 53, 74 and 130 on the way to a dominant 6-2 victory over Mark Selby in the semi-finals, also withstanding the Jester’s brief fightback from 5-0 to 5-2.

Two of the best left-handers in the world collide, with a showdown against four-time World champion Higgins for the title at stake.

The match breaks off at 7pm GMT on Saturday and will be contested over the best of 11 frames at the Telford International Centre.

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