Jak Jones vs Zhao Xintong Preview & Prediction | 2025 World Snooker Championship | First Round

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2024 runner-up Jak Jones faces the returning Zhao Xintong in one of the tastiest first-round encounters at the Crucible.

Start date/time: Sunday 20th April, 2025: UK – 10:00am / US ET – 5:00am / US PT – 2:00am

How to watch on TV: UK – BBC & TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & discovery+ / US – Cannot be streamed

Tickets: Visit here for the latest ticket information

Jak Jones vs Zhao Xintong prediction

Jak Jones returns to the Crucible a year on from his shock run to the final as a qualifier, and he will now aim to prove his runner-up spot was no fluke.

The Welshman, who lost 18-14 to Kyren Wilson in the 2024 final, also reached the quarter-final in his only other World Championship appearance in 2023 despite very little success in other tournaments, so this is clearly a venue that brings out the best in the 31-year-old.

There is plenty of attention on the highly-rated Zhao Xintong this year, with the 28-year-old recently making his return from a 20-month ban for his part in the match-fixing scandal that involved several Chinese players.

The 2021 UK Championship winner has been playing on the Q Tour Europe tour in recent months, where he has won four events, while he came through four rounds of qualifying to reach the Crucible.

Despite his lengthy absence, Xintong’s talent and recent performances have seen him installed by many bookies as the sixth favourite to go all the way this year, and we’re expecting him to get off to a good start against last year’s finalist.

Jak Jones vs Zhao Xintong tip: Zhao Xintong to win