Seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has said Zhao Xintong was hard done by to receive a 20-month suspension for his part in a match-fixing ring. 'The Rocket' saw his dream of a record-breaking eighth Crucible crown crumble on Friday after suffering a 17-7 semi-final defeat to the Chinese star in Sheffield.

Zhao returned to competitive snooker in September 2024 after more than a year-and-a-half on the sidelines. He was one of 10 Chinese snooker players implicated in a match-fixing investigation but received the shortest suspension handed out by the WPBSA. The 28-year-old was found to be in breach of "being party to another player fixing two matches," as well as placing bets on snooker matches. He also had to pay £7,500 in costs for his part in the operation.

But O'Sullivan believes that, based on the evidence he's aware of, the punishments given to Zhao and others were slightly harsh. And he gave his honest opinion on the matter as the rising star prepares to make his World Championship debut on Sunday as a favourite against Mark Williams.

"Yeah, I think it was unfortunate for some of the boys," said Ronnie ahead of his semi-final showdown with Zhao. "I think they wasn’t really involved in it from what I gather. So some of them, you just think, it was really harsh for them.

"There’s some there that obviously were at it. And I think for some of them, it was a bit unfair. Maybe, I don’t know.

"I don’t know the full facts of it, to be honest with you. But from what I heard, was just caught in the firing line and a bit [of] naivety, I suppose."

Zhao has picked up the pieces following his snooker ban and now stands on the brink of greatness at the Crucible. After dazzling with a sequence of dominant displays en route to his first World Championship decider, many fans will be glad to have 'The Cyclone' back in the game.

O'Sullivan, 49, has spent an extensive period of time around Zhao and is seen as a mentor figure to the Crucible hopeful. The pair have trained together at Victoria’s Academy in Sheffield, and images were circulated of the pair embracing backstage after Friday's semi.

Zhao was magnanimous in victory, urging the Crucible crowd to cheer O'Sullivan following a fairly lopsided result. And The Rocket was similarly humble to a close colleague, not wanting to steal any of the limelight from the first-time finalist.

"I know we’ve got a really nice relationship, I’m always trying to help him if I can," said O'Sullivan after their match. "He wanted the crowd to give me a clap at the end but it was Zhao’s moment, I tried to get off as quickly as I could because it was his moment to enjoy."