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Shaun Murphy supports Zhao Xintong’s return to snooker after betting ban

Shaun Murphy supports Zhao Xintong’s return to snooker after betting ban

Former world champion Shaun Murphy says snooker is better because Zhao Xintong plays it after the Chinese player returned to top-level competition following a 20-month ban.

Zhao (27) was one of 10 players banned in connection with the corruption scandal, but after a year and eight months of suspension he returned and qualified as an amateur for the British Championships – a competition he won in 2021.

He did not throw the match directly but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced following his earlier guilty plea and guilty plea. He accepted the allegations that he was a party to fixing two matches by another player and betting on the matches.

“Xintong’s case has always been different from the rest,” said Murphy, who beat Zhao 6-5 in the first round of the British Championship on Saturday at York Barbican Stadium.

“He wasn’t a cheater, he actually broke the rules, but he admitted it and served his sentence. He should be able to continue his career and return to the sport after qualifying. The game is better when it has Xintong in it.”