Report – Zhao Xintong wins WPBSA Q Tour event in Vienna

The winner of the first Q Tour event held on Austrian soil, organized by the WPBSA in close collaboration with ÖSBV and with the support of HSEBC at the Austrian Snooker Academy in Vienna, is Zhao Xintong.

The Chinese player, celebrating his third consecutive tournament victory and having won three of the five season events so far, delivered an impressive performance in the final against Australia’s Ryan Thomerson. With three century breaks, including the tournament high break – a 142-point clearance – Zhao secured a well-deserved victory in Vienna. This triumph solidifies his lead in the Q Tour UK/Europe ranking for the 2024/25 season and brings him one step closer to returning to the Main Tour.

Q Tour winner in Vienna Zhao Xintong; © wpbsa/matthuart

A total of 103 players from 26 nations entered the first WPBSA snooker ranking tournament in Austria. The event began on Friday with preliminary matches, leading to the top 64 players being determined for the main draw on Saturday. These matches then set the stage for the 16 players who competed for the title on the final day.

Q Tour final in the Austrian Snooker Academy; © wpbsa/matthuart

Austrian Snooker rising star Lukas Stötzer, recently crowned the youngest Grand Prix winner in Austrian Snooker history, had to play in the first preliminary round due to the open draw and seeding system. In a thrilling match against England’s Jason Wright, Stötzer secured a 3-2 victory, but fell 2-3 to Latvia’s Nikita Bazilevics in the next round. Despite the early exit, Stötzer’s performance demonstrated his immense talent and potential as Austria’s leading U21 athlete.

Lukas Stötzer; © wpbsa/matthuart

Philipp Koch, president of HSEBC and a key figure in organizing the event alongside ÖSBV, entered directly in the second preliminary round due to the open draw. After a narrow 3-2 win over Poland’s Oliwier Niziałek, Koch qualified for Saturday’s main event. However, he faced ex-Main Tour player and tournament favourite Iulian Boiko from Ukraine, who dominated the match with a 4-0 victory, including a century break of 104 and two high breaks near the 90-point mark. Koch’s advancement to the main event is a positive sign for future Q Tour events, highlighting the quality of Austrian players and the success of the collaboration with head coach PJ Nolan and national coach Chau Zi Kim.

Philipp Koch; © wpbsa/matthuart

Florian Nüßle, ranked 17th in the Q Tour UK/Europe standings – where the season winner secures one of four Main Tour spots – started strong with a 4-0 win against Belgium’s Daan Leyssen. However, in his bid to reach the final day, he faced Germany’s Umut Dikme in a late-night match on day two. Despite a valiant effort and repeatedly narrowing the deficit, Nüßle was defeated. He now turns his attention to the remaining two Q Tour events, aiming to gather the necessary points for the Global Playoff during the 2025 EBSA European Championships in Antalya, Turkey, where three more Main Tour tickets will be at stake.

Florian Nüßle; © wpbsa/matthuart

Th tournament was run by the World Professional Snooker & Billiards Association, represented by Stuart Barker as tournament director and Matt Huart as his assistant responsible for any media work. They did a great job and made the event run as smoothly as possible.

Referees Christian Fock, Walter Kunz, Erich Pließnig, Carl Walter Steiner and Manfred Göllner – who had the honor of officiating the final – ensured professional match supervision throughout the weekend.

This fifth Q Tour event of the season also set a new record: 35 century breaks were achieved, marking a milestone for events of this category.

Special thanks go to all contributors – Emil Becker, Oskar Charlesworth, Stephanie Doležal, Andreas Kosić, Franz Meszaros, Wolfgang Pöll, Martin Schmidt, Daniel Seyser, Renate Skoda, Carl Walter Steiner, Alexander Trinkl, Bernhard Ullmann, the entire HSEBC and its president Philipp Koch as well as the Austrian Snooker and English Billiards Association ÖSBV, represented on-site by president Christian Fock, sports director Patrick Stegmeier und national coach Chau Zi Kim – who worked tirelessly to make this event a success, enhancing Austria’s visibility on the snooker map and solidifying the Austrian Snooker Academy as a prime venue for future international events.

Particular acknowledgment goes to HSEBC member René Deutenhauser, who, with the support of HSEBC and ÖSBV, initiated and successfully executed a project in the weeks leading up to the event. His efforts transformed the Austrian Snooker Academy into a venue that not only meets but exceeds international standards, earning unanimous positive feedback from players, officials and guests alike – a truly remarkable achievement that deserves well-earned recognition!

ÖSBV looks forward to future events at the Austrian Snooker Academy in Vienna, wishing everyone a well-deserved rest at the year’s end.