Zhao Xintong in fresh snooker controversy after serving 20-month suspension

is at the heart of a fresh row concerning his prize money, ranking points and rival star . The Chinese potter could become the first amateur player to lift the if he .

The former world No. 7 was previously . The 2021 winner did not directly throw a match, but accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.

He was dumped off the professional tour but earned his spot back through the Q Tour, before becoming a household name at the . He will become world No. 26 if he loses the World Championship final and breaks into the top 16 with a win.

But other players are said to be "aggrieved" and "up in arms" that Zhao's earnings, , will count towards his ranking despite raking them in as an amateur.

host put World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson on the spot about the matter during the final, calling Zhao's rise: "A big story but also a massive scandal in the sport."

Ferguson said that the sport's governing body welcomes Zhao back "with open arms" and he has earned the right to keep those ranking points, having won his tour card back via the Q Tour as opposed to doing so in Sheffield.

"It's important to talk about and he has served his time and he has paid his fine and actually he has followed a route of trying to work his way back in," Ferguson said.

"I think people will always refer to it but when you're young you might get pulled into things. But there is a route back and there is a route to return. From our point of view, he has done the right thing from day one and is welcomed back into the sport and will be a professional player again at the end of this World Championship."

Zhao's Q Tour spot is back up for grabs but Irvine pointed out that if he beats , he reaches the top 16 and will bump Carter out of select events only for those elite players.

She argued the captain's case: "But he does dive into the top 16, which he would if he wins the title, somebody like Ali Carter in 16th place is obviously a little bit aggrieved that this might bump him out of some of the big events. You can see it from his perspective."

Ferguson replied: "Absolutely you can and there is another player who has worked very hard and had a great career, been out and is back in the top 16. Amazing really to think this scenario could even happen, I think we are all looking at it and thinking: 'Wow, what is happening here?'

"But it does show how wide snooker is these days, you have the ability to go from zero to hero pretty quickly. We have created a system and broken down all the boundaries, where other sports have layers to their system."

BBC pundit Ken Doherty explained that some players are "up in arms" at the matter and warned Ferguson about the precedent being set, claiming that some pros disagree with Zhao's earnings at the Crucible being added to his tally.

"The big question at this point is about the prize money," the 1997 champion explained. "A lot of players are a bit up in arms about it. The rules might have been changed, if he wins the Championship he keeps the prize money, when it should be going to scratch when he picks up his tour card."

Ferguson argued back: "It is not actually a rule change, it is a scenario that has never happened before. Amateur players do enter events from time to time, as they come in, they play against professionals but they never break into the top 64 because they only come in for one or two events.

"It is the first time we have actually seen this where someone has actually broken all the way through and earned enough points in a season. In that scenario, the case is that the player retains his ranking points because the player is deemed a professional player and joins the professional tour by retaining the top 64 position.

"So the places from the Q Tour is now a vacant place and the potential to top up there is available."