Young Zhao Xintong Surprises Ronnie O’Sullivan | 2016 English Open ‒ Snooker

Ronnie O’Sullivan and teen Zhao Xintong faced each other to perform a thrilling snooker match for the first time. Zhao is still little known among snooker fans and becomes a revelation there, stealing the show and the applause. Talented young players like Zhao find it difficult to win titles as young players in the 1980s and 1990s. However, today’s top 16 players set the bar too high, as their average 21-year career is the longest ever, opposed to the 10-year average in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Year Age* Pro** 1975 39 11 1980 38 10 1985 36 10 1990 32 10 1995 29 8 2000 28 9 2005 33 15 2010 31 14 2015 35 18 2021 38 21 (*) Age: Average age of the top 16 players. (**) Pro: Average number of years as professionals. That is not a problem, it’s just reality, and young players have to deal with it. But, on the other hand, top player longevity brings enormous benefits to the game and k