Zhang Anda scored a nerve shredding 6-5 win over four-time World Champion Mark Selby to reach the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Players Championship in Telford.
The Chinese cueman thrilled a capacity crowd in the opening four frames, as he blitzed in front with breaks of 129, 80, 69 and 84 to lead 4-0 at the mid-session interval. However, the tide would then turn sharply in the other direction.
When play resumed Zhang had the chance to move just a single frame from victory, but a missed black on 56 allowed Selby into the tie. The Leicester cueman had only scored five points at this stage, but typically he summoned a steely 62 to win on the black and make it 4-1.
A run of 85 in the sixth saw Selby reduce his arrears to 4-2, before he made it three on the bounce to pull within a frame.
Zhang then moved 5-3 ahead and had a chance to win in the ninth, but missed a straightforward red to the top right. Selby punished that with a century contribution of 113. Zhang spurned other opportunities in a thrilling tenth, eventually missing the final blue to ensure the decider.
A break of 50 put Zhang in control of the final frame, but Selby had his chance to counter. He missed a tricky brown to the middle and a relieved Zhang got himself over the line.
Victory means Zhang becomes the first Chinese player to make three ranking finals in a single season since Ding Junhui back in 13/14.
The 32-year-old reached his first ever ranking event final at the English Open earlier in the campaign, losing out to Judd Trump. However, he went on to claim a maiden ranking crown at the International Championship in Tianjin, where he made a 147 during a 10-6 final win over Tom Ford.
Tomorrow Zhang will face Mark Allen over the best of 19 frames, with a top prize of £125,000 on the line and the opportunity to add a second ranking title to his record.
“I’m very happy. I played well during the first half of the match and was in great form. I missed a black in the fifth frame and let him back in,” said world number 13 Zhang.
“He’s a top player and I needed to bring my best to win, which I did before the mid-session. I was chased all the way. We both knew the brown in the last frame was a pressure shot. He could have won by potting it, but it wasn’t easy.
“Mark Allen is a consistent player now. You never get an easy game competing against him. He has an all round game and doesn’t give many chances away. I hope I have a good performance, without worrying about the result.”