Zhao Xintong, the newly crowned world number one snooker player, has expressed his ambition to hold onto the top ranking for a "very long time." He is currently studying the techniques and strategies of past world number one players to further enhance his own game. Zhao’s rise to the top has been both rapid and impressive, surprising even himself. Zhao is the 13th player to reach the top of the world rankings since they were introduced in 1975 and the second Chinese player to achieve this milestone. He returned to the professional tour full-time last year after serving a ban, and his swift climb to the top has been unexpected. Reflecting on his journey, Zhao admitted he never imagined becoming world number one before last season. “I know before last season, if I think I would be number one, I think it's very crazy,” he told Metro. “But now I've done it, I feel it, I'm getting better.” Despite his recent success, Zhao remains humble, acknowledging he still has a long way to go. He is focused on improving his shot selection and mental strength by learning from former world number one players, such as Judd Trump. Zhao will face Trump in the British Open quarter-finals on Friday evening, a match that could be a pivotal moment in his career. Zhao is part of a new generation of young Chinese players who are expected to dominate the snooker scene in the coming years. Alongside him are rising stars like world champion Wu Yize and Wuhan Open winner Chang Bingyu. Zhao believes these players need more experience to perform consistently in high-stakes matches. The British Open quarter-finals will see several other notable matches. Zhao faces Judd Trump at 7pm, while Jak Jones takes on Aaron Hill in the same session. Earlier in the day, Mark Selby will play Jack Lisowski, and Stan Moody will face Liam Highfield in a session starting at 1pm, with the winners advancing to the semi-finals.