Zhang Anda edged through to the third ranking semi-final of his career, beating John Higgins 6-4 at the Johnstone’s Paint Players Championship in Telford.
It has been a stunning season thus far for 32-year-old Zhang, who captured his maiden ranking title earlier in the campaign at the International Championship in Tianjin. The Chinese cueman made a 147 in the final, where he defeated Tom Ford 10-6.
That result acted as a platform for Zhang to break into the world’s top 16 and compete at the Masters for the first time in a career which extends back to 2009. His exploits this season, which also include a trip to the English Open final, saw him seeded third for this week’s elite 16-player event.
A frustrating defeat for Higgins sees him miss out on qualification for the upcoming Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker. However, he remains in a strong position to earn a place in the top 12 on the one-year list and secure a place in the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship.
The first frame lasted over an hour, including a delay in play after a member of the audience took ill. Eventually it was Higgins who took it on the pink.
From there the brilliant Zhang made a decisive burst. Breaks of 102, 79, 84, 104 and 95 saw him take five on the bounce and move a single frame from the win at 5-1.
Higgins typically dug deep to claw back into contention. He pulled within a single frame after taking three on the bounce to make it 5-4. The match had looked set to go to a decider. However, Higgins missed a black off the spot with the balls at his mercy and Zhang ruthlessly cleared with 56 to beat his childhood hero
That sets up a semi-final showdown with Mark Selby on Saturday night.
"I played pretty well, because I wanted to show what I can do in front of my hero. I was very dedicated to the job and I was able to concentrate on each shot. Even when he was coming back at me, I wasn't feeling nervous and I was very much enjoying watching his performance."
Zhang Anda
International Champion
Zhang added: "I think Mark Selby has always been the toughest opponent on professional circuit. He has the best all-round game and there's no weakness in his game. It's a style of playing that is more difficult to deal with, as he's good at attacking and defending.
"I was playing better during the International Championship, but I don't really assess my form like this because nobody can be on his top form everyday. I wasn't playing great in recent tournaments, like Welsh Open and German Masters, but I have been improving in the first two matches here and I wish to bring my form back."