ZHAO XINTONG lost his first snooker match for nine months as he fell victim to the Ding Junhui Curse.
Kyren Wilson moved into Sunday’s final of the Shanghai Masters with a superb 10-5 victory over China’s reigning world snooker champion.
The Warrior, 33, scored breaks of 66, 75, 70, 95, 70, 101 and 51 across the 15 frames and crucially claimed all SIX frames in the evening session.
For Xintong, it was a first defeat since losing to Shaun Murphy in the Last 32 of the UK Championship in York on November 23, 2024.
After that loss in the North Yorkshire cathedral city, Xintong won an astonishing 26 matches in a row, which included lifting the Crucible crown in historic scenes for his country.
But Xintong’s Far East homecoming was ruined by the Kettering cueist as he completely flopped in the evening action.
The Cyclone potted breaks of 113, 59, 95 and then a 121 to lead 5-4 in the afternoon but when nighttime came, he was outclassed by the Englishman.
And forget all about the Crucible Curse, which he has to negotiate next spring in Sheffield – the Curse of Ding Junhui struck again in a competitive environment.
This was the 21st time in a row that someone had beaten Ding, 38, and then LOST their next match.
A run that stretches back to John Higgins being the first victim at the Players Championship in February 2024 in Telford.
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It is a quirk that whoever manages to eliminate Ding, the Godfather of Chinese snooker, from a tournament cannot repeat the victory in the next appearance.
Robbie Williams is the last person, at the 2024 Welsh Open, to have knocked out Ding and then won his next match.
Wilson, the world No.2, faces Ali Carter in the final, the best of 21 frames, at the Luwan Gymnasium and the winner will earn a £210,000 jackpot.
Kyren Wilson said: “The crowd were massively on Zhao Xintong’s side, which is obviously to be expected out here. He’s an absolute local hero.
“I managed to settle quite early in the game and find a bit of rhythm.
“It was about going back to the hotel, resetting and recharging and coming out firing for the evening.
“Snooker is booming in China. You can feel an air of expectation every time Xintong turns up for a match. I knew I had to play well.
“We are both young guys and the most recent world champions. Hopefully it’s a game the Chinese fans can enjoy for many years to come.
“I did hear about the curse. It’s a mad stat. Maybe Ding Junhui is so good he takes it out of you when you beat him.
“Who knows? It’s a crazy stat. I am sure Ding enjoys it.
“Ali Carter has battled through some tough deciding matches, which is what he does best. He’s a fantastic match player. A very gritty, determined character.
“I will have to dig deep and play some of the best snooker I have played in maybe the last 18 months.”
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