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 keeps all generations of snooker fans delighted.

Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Zhao Xintong, 2016 English Open - Last 64

The statistics shown in the video correspond to the date of the match.

Cesar Muroya created a unique editing technique to extract the essence of the game without losing the drama involved. Contextual information is also an innovation appreciated by viewers.

This format is not intended to substitute the full version but rather to make snooker more accessible to new fans. The fluency and atmosphere of the game stay in a shorter length video, allowing even experienced fans to enjoy snooker at any time.

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