Zhao Xintong may be young for a World Snooker Championship finalist, but his association with opponent Mark Williams still stretches back well over a decade. The Chinese cueist let Williams know he was up against it by taking a commanding 11-6 lead over two sessions on Sunday.

In the 98 years since Joe Davis became snooker’s first world champion, the famous old trophy has left the United Kingdom just five times. To Australia twice, the Republic of Ireland and Canada once, and most recently to Belgium two years ago when Luca Brecel became the first champion from continental Europe.