Zhao Xintong v Ding Junhui live stream | World Snooker Championship second round preview
Zhao and Ding go head-to-head
China’s two biggest snooker trailblazers collide in a box office second round tie at the World Snooker Championship as reigning champion Zhao Xintong faces former finalist Ding Junhui.
An unmissable three-session showdown sees Zhao resume the defence of his Crucible crown with a clash against his legendary compatriot in Sheffield.
Zhao made history by becoming the first Asian player to be crowned World Snooker Champion last year, while Ding had previously got closest by finishing runner-up in 2016.
After a brief lull in the remainder of 2025, Zhao has exploded back into form this year, racking up a further hat-trick of ranking titles at the World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship.
The 29-year-old is the latest player vying to break the infamous ‘Crucible curse’, which has seen no first-time champion successfully retain the world title at this iconic venue.
The world number four was far from at his mercurial best in his first round tie against Liam Highfield on opening day but did more than enough to clinch a 10-7 victory with two centuries along the way.
Ding, meanwhile, is featuring in his 20th consecutive World Championship and is bidding to improve on an underwhelming recent record at The Crucible which has seen him fail to progress beyond the second round stage since 2018.
Quarter-finalist at the Xi’an Grand Prix and UK Championship this season, Ding has failed to qualify for a number of ranking tournaments but proved he remains a player for the big occasion when he comfortably dispatched David Gilbert 10-5 in Round One with two centuries to his name.
Ding prevailed in his four meetings with Zhao, but the youngster has won their two most recent encounters, including a 6-1 rout in the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
The match gets under way from 2.30pm on Friday April 24 for a total of eight frames, before resuming from 2.30pm on Saturday and from 10am on Sunday over the best of 25 frames.
How to watch Zhao Xintong v Ding Junhui live stream
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