Reigning world snooker champion Zhao Xintong won the 2026 Snooker Players Championship title on 22 February 2026, defeating four-time world champion John Higgins 10–7 at the Telford International Centre.
The victory earned Zhao a £150,000 winner’s prize and marked his second consecutive ranking title after winning the World Grand Prix earlier this month. With this win, Zhao became only the fourth player in history to win all of his first five ranking finals, joining Steve Davis, Mark Williams, and Neil Robertson.
Match Summary
The final was a closely contested affair until the closing stages, with the players locked in a stalemate for much of the day.
- Afternoon Session: Higgins started strongly, taking an early 2–0 lead, but Zhao fought back to level at 2–2. The session ended balanced at 4–4, with Higgins’ highest break of the session being a 90 in frame eight.
- Evening Session: The deadlock continued as the pair traded frames to reach 7–7. At this point, Zhao found another gear, producing a dominant four-frame burst to clinch the title.
- The Deciding Run: Zhao took control with back-to-back centuries—104 in frame 15 and a tournament-high 126 in frame 16—to move 9–7 ahead. He secured the championship in the next frame with a break of 92, described by Higgins as “poetry in motion”.
2026 Players Championship Final Scorecard
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Higgins | 65 | 82 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 73 | 14 | 71 | 14 | 77 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Zhao Xintong | 0 | 36 | 121 | 66 | 0 | 82 | 81 | 11 | 38 | 88 | 44 | 116 | 71 | 72 | 104 | 140 | 92 | 10 |
Notable Achievements
- John Higgins: At 50 years and 280 days old, Higgins became the second-oldest ranking finalist in snooker history, surpassed only by Rex Williams (53) in 1986.
- Zhao Xintong: Zhao maintained his perfect record in ranking finals (5/5) and moved to a career-high of fifth in the world rankings following his triumph.
- Century Breaks: Zhao made the highest break of the tournament with a 142 during his quarter-final victory over Shaun Murphy.
Snooker fans can stay updated on the upcoming 2026 Welsh Open and the conclusion of the Players Series via the World Snooker Tour Official Site.
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