Meet the mastermind behind Zhao Xintong's success as China ready to take over snooker

became the first-ever Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship with his victory over Mark Williams last week. He's one of several Chinese stars poised to dominate the sport over the next decade, with a single mastermind being credited to the nation's improved performances on the world stage.

Given it's the home of snooker, it's perhaps no surprise that many of the world's best players decide to relocate to Sheffield. But, given it's over 7,500 miles away from China, it's perhaps a little more surprising that so many potters from the Asian city opt to ply their trade in the South Yorkshire city.

But, as the sport continues to grow among Chinese players, it's something more and more are deciding to do. So much so, an unassuming snooker academy in the city, just 10 minutes from the famous Crucible Theatre, has emerged as a hotbed of promising Chinese players.

The centre, named after its owner Victoria Shi, is where the recently-crowned world champion Zhao honed his craft before hitting the big time. Not only that, but Shi is also the cuesmith's mentor and manager, and was the first person seen congratulating Zhao after he won the title.

According to Shi, though, Zhao is the first of many Chinese champions of the world. Speaking to , she said: "In China, they all play at seven years old - they practice 10 hours a day. Chinese people work hard. Snooker is already so popular in China, but now, you can't imagine how big it will be. He is a sports icon, the first Asian world champion. That's huge."

It was something that beaten semi-finalist Judd Trump picked up on. Speaking after his last-four defeat, the former world champion stated: "I just think kids from the UK don't want to work as hard. It's as simple as that. I don't think they have any less chances. They don't want it as bad as some over in China."

The head of Victoria Academy covered snooker as a journalist before turning her hand to the management side of things. She looked after the lives of players, which included three years working with Ding Junhui - the most successful Asian player in the sport's history.

It gave her a chance to witness what it takes to be a champion and why Chinese players are so committed to their craft. Shi puts the approach down to the mentality she and other mentors have been able to instil in the players from an early age. She continued: "If I haven't seen them for a few days, I will ask: 'Why haven't I seen you?' It is like with normal kids. I want them working hard. He [Zhao] practises for six or seven hours a day. He is in Sheffield for eight or nine months of the year because of training hard and the events. Let him enjoy this... but, if he enjoys it too much, I will tell him off."

Zhao's victory will likely go down as a watershed moment for Chinese snooker. It's estimated that over Williams earlier this month. The only question is, how many more Chinese snooker stars will follow in Zhao's footsteps?