Zhang Anda delivered a stunning upset at the UK Championship in York, defeating reigning world champion zhao Xintong 6-2 in an all-Chinese clash.
The victory marks Zhang’s third consecutive quarter-final appearance at the prestigious tournament and underscores his growing prominence in the professional snooker circuit. This result is particularly notable as Zhao entered the match as the clear favorite, adding to the significance of zhang’s commanding performance.
After dropping the opening frame,Zhang responded with two consecutive centuries,leveling the match at 2-2 after the first four frames. Zhao struggled with routine pots, a weakness Zhang capitalized on throughout the remainder of the contest.
Zhang continued his dominance after the interval, securing the next three frames with breaks of 87, 69, and 73, before closing out the match in a tense eighth frame.
“I played so well, there were three frames where I scored heavily and Xintong did not play well. It was my day,” Zhang told BBC Sport.
“In the first session, I made two centuries and it was very good stuff from me. In the fourth frame, I missed some simple shots but I told myself to forget it – I am playing well, I can beat him.”
The 33-year-old will now face either John Higgins or Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals.
In a separate match, three-time UK champion Ding Junhui secured a narrow 6-5 victory over Scotland’s Scott Donaldson, winning with a crucial century break in the deciding frame.
Ding will next compete against world number one Judd Trump.
