“Crushing blow?” Zhao Xintong demolishes 50-year-old John Higgins 10–1, smiles in handshake: “I was fully focused.”

In the early hours of April 5, Zhao Xintong delivered a dominant performance in the Tour Championship semifinal, defeating John Higgins 10-1 to book his place in the final.

Zhao was unstoppable in the opening session, racing to an 8-0 lead. From frames two to seven, he produced a remarkable run of consecutive 50+ breaks, completely controlling the match and leaving Higgins with no answers.

The second session saw more of the same dominance. Zhao opened with a 54 break to make it 9-0. Higgins managed to respond with a 79 break in the tenth frame to avoid a whitewash, but Zhao quickly sealed the match in the next frame with an 85 break, winning 93-9 and closing out a comprehensive 10-1 victory.

After the match, Zhao calmly shook hands with Higgins, his composed demeanor reflecting total confidence. He will now face world No.1 Judd Trump in the final. The two have met four times previously, with two wins each, setting up a highly anticipated clash.

This 10-1 result also equals the largest winning margin in Tour Championship history. The same scoreline was previously recorded when Barry Hawkins beat Shaun Murphy and when Mark Selby defeated Neil Robertson.

Speaking after the match, Zhao said: “I played very well today, and John didn’t perform at his best. I’m happy to reach the final. My cue action felt great, and I didn’t overthink. I’ve reached four finals this season, and I’ll keep improving.” Following this victory, Zhao climbs to world No.4—a career-high ranking.