Zhang Anda Defeats Zhao Xintong to Reach UK Championship Quarter-Finals

Posted : 05 December 2025

Zhang Anda delivered an exceptional display of potting to overcome world champion Zhao Xintong 6-2 and secure a place in the UK Championship quarter-finals. The 33-year-old, who has now reached three consecutive quarter-finals in York, is set to face Shaun Murphy in the next round.

Murphy staged a dramatic recovery against John Higgins, overturning deficits of 4-1 and 5-3 to claim a 6-5 victory in a tense deciding frame. The Englishman described the win as “one of the best” of his career.

In the all-Chinese matchup, Zhang quickly recovered from losing the opening frame, producing back-to-back century breaks as the first four frames were shared. After the interval, Zhao struggled with a number of routine misses, allowing Zhang to dominate the next three frames with breaks of 87, 69, and 73, before closing out the match in the eighth frame.

“I played really well. There were three frames where I scored heavily and Xintong didn’t play well. It was my day,” Zhang told BBC Sport. “In the first session, I made two centuries, and it was very solid from me. Even when I missed some simple shots, I told myself to forget it—I was playing well, and I could beat him.”

For much of the evening, it seemed Zhang might face his boyhood hero, John Higgins. The Scot, a two-time UK champion, built a strong 4-1 lead against Murphy with several impressive breaks, including 70, 78, and 60. However, Murphy capitalized on errors from Higgins, compiling breaks of 89 and 53 to force a deciding frame, which he won after Higgins missed a critical yellow ball.

“It’s the old cliché of one ball at a time,” Murphy said. “Any time you play any of the Class of ’92, you need to be at your best. Coming back from that position, it’s one of the best wins of my life.”

Meanwhile, three-time UK champion Ding Junhui also advanced, defeating Scotland’s Scott Donaldson 6-5 in a thrilling encounter. Ding, who crafted a superb century break, will face world number one Judd Trump in the next round. Barry Hawkins secured a comfortable 6-0 win over Elliot Slessor, setting up a meeting with Mark Selby.

Donaldson, who had previously stunned Stuart Bingham in qualifying and then beat Mark Allen, faced difficulties early in his match with Ding, including a brief pause due to a spectator falling ill. Despite his late surge with breaks of 118, 50, and 69, Ding prevailed in a decider with a precise long red, showcasing his class under pressure.

“He has talent and is a good player,” Ding said of Donaldson. “I just wanted to take the opportunity when it came, and he showed great fight in the last frames.” Donaldson added, “The fight was good, and I’m proud of how I competed. These top players make you take risks, and today I learned from that.”

Although Zhang had beaten Zhao in their only previous competitive meeting a decade ago, he was considered an underdog going into the match. Both train at the same Sheffield academy, but their careers have followed different trajectories. Zhang has fallen outside the top 16 in world rankings, while Zhao, who became a UK champion in 2021 and a Crucible champion in 2023, has risen to megastar status despite a 20-month ban following match-fixing sanctions.

“He played really well,” Zhao admitted. “We practice together every day and know each other well. Today I missed some easy shots, but when he plays at this level, he can beat anyone.”

Zhang Anda Defeats Zhao Xintong to Reach UK Championship Quarter-Finals

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics