World Snooker Tour match-fixing investigation: China's Zhao Xintong suspended
- Published
Zhao Xintong claimed his first ranking title by winning the UK Championship in December 2021
The 2021 UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong and his compatriot Zhang Jiankang are the latest Chinese players to be suspended from the World Snooker Tour.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) have sanctioned the players as part of a match-fixing investigation.
Zhao, 25, was due to play four-time world champion Mark Selby in the first round of the Masters on Sunday.
A total of 10 players from China have now been suspended.
Both Zhao and Zhang have the right to appeal against the decision.
In a statement, the WPBSA, the sport's world governing body, said the wider investigation "was at an advanced stage" and once completed, any potential charges "will be considered".
Zhao claimed his first ranking title by securing the 2021 UK Championship with a 10-5 victory over Luca Brecel in York.
He was competing in his first final and became only the fourth non-British winner of the event.
In October, Liang Wenbo was banned pending the results of a misconduct investigation.
Five more players, Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu were suspended in early December.
Yan Bingtao, who won the 2021 Masters, was the seventh Chinese player to be sanctioned, with Chen Zifan the eighth.
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