Zhao accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself in a controversy that led to 10 Chinese players being punished, with life bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.
Zhao’s enforced amateur status meant he had to battle through four qualifying rounds just to reach the World Championship main draw at the Crucible, which is walking distance from his Sheffield home.
Due to return to the main professional tour next season, Zhao is just the third player after Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy to win the title as a qualifier in the 48-year Crucible era.
While Zhao’s story is startling, Asian snooker has been on the rise for several years.
The sport is hugely popular in China, with a national snooker academy in Beijing training the country’s best young players.
Millions of Chinese fans were expected to tune into the final to witness Zhao’s coronation.
Only 12 months ago, Zhao was sitting at home watching the World Championship in the midst of his ban.
But his road to redemption picked up speed with a blistering display to thrash seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 17-7 in the semi-finals last week.
