1. Overview
Zhang Anda (张安达Zhāng ĀndáChinese; born on December 25, 1991) is a Chinese professional snooker player. His professional career began in the 2009-10 snooker season, a significant step he earned by winning the ACBS Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship. After years of dedicated practice and navigating the challenges of the professional circuit, Zhang achieved a major career breakthrough in November 2023, when he won his first world ranking title at the 2023 International Championship. This victory, which included a rare maximum break of 147, marked him as a formidable competitor in the sport. His consistent improvement has been notable, leading to his highest career ranking of 10 by October 2024. Zhang's journey exemplifies the spirit of perseverance and the meritocratic nature of professional sports, demonstrating how consistent effort can lead to top-tier achievements on the global stage.
2. Early Life and Background
Zhang Anda was born on December 25, 1991, in Shaoguan, Guangdong, China. Standing at 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) tall, he earned the nickname "Mighty Mouse" due to his relatively smaller stature. During the snooker season, Zhang resides in Sheffield, England, where he sharpens his skills and practices at the Victoria Snooker Academy. He was previously noted to have practiced at an institution in Romford, London, and was managed by Grove Leisure at one point, though his main base is now Sheffield.
3. Amateur Career
Before turning professional, Zhang Anda established himself as a promising amateur player. He competed in various youth tournaments, demonstrating his potential on the international stage. In 2007, he reached the final of the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship, where he was the runner-up, losing to Michael Georgiou. His most significant amateur achievement came in 2009 when he clinched the title at the ACBS Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship, defeating Noppon Saengkham by a score of 5-1. This victory was instrumental in his qualification for the professional Main Tour for the 2009-10 season. In 2012, he once again reached the final of the ACBS Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship, but was defeated by Hossein Vafaei with a score of 2-6. Despite the loss, Zhang received a place on the main snooker tour for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, as Vafaei had already secured his tour card.
4. Professional Career
Zhang Anda's professional snooker career has seen periods of both significant success and challenging setbacks, characterized by his consistent effort to maintain and regain his position on the Main Tour.
4.1. Early Years and Tour Debut (2009-2012)
Zhang Anda made his professional debut in the 2009-10 snooker season. His initial match was a 2-5 defeat to Craig Steadman in the first qualifying round of the Shanghai Masters. He secured his first professional wins during the qualifying rounds for the Grand Prix, defeating Ben Woollaston 5-3 and Jin Long 5-2, before being eliminated by Dominic Dale 0-5. Zhang also reached the same stage in Welsh Open qualifying, beating Matthew Couch 5-2 and Mark Joyce 5-4, only to lose 2-5 to Marcus Campbell.
A highlight of his debut season was his run in the 2010 World Snooker Championship qualifiers. He comfortably beat Craig Steadman 10-4, recording his first century break of the season in the penultimate frame. He then defeated veteran John Parrott 10-6, making a 113 break. In the penultimate qualifying round, Zhang overcame Andrew Higginson 10-8 in a fluctuating match, making a 114 break and winning the last three frames after trailing 7-8. His final obstacle was Ricky Walden, whom he defeated 10-8 with breaks of 134 and 103 in the last two frames. This historic win made him only the fourth Chinese player to compete at The Crucible and, as the world number 71, the lowest-ranked player to qualify for the tournament. He also became one of the few players to reach The Crucible in their debut season. At the World Championship, Zhang faced seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in the first round, eventually losing a close match 9-10 after a strong comeback from 0-4 down. He finished the season ranked world number 71.
The 2010-11 snooker season began with a promising start for Zhang, as he won three matches to reach the final qualifying round of the Shanghai Masters, defeating Jak Jones, Paul Davies, and Stuart Pettman before losing to Matthew Stevens 2-5. However, he struggled to maintain this form, winning only one more match across the remaining six ranking events. This culminated in a 6-10 loss to Andrew Pagett in the first round of the 2011 World Snooker Championship qualifying. Zhang ended the season ranked world number 84, falling outside the top 64 required to retain his professional tour card. He attempted to regain his place via Q School but was unsuccessful, losing 1-4 to David Grace in the first event and failing to qualify from the subsequent events.
Following his relegation, Zhang primarily competed in minor-ranking Players Tour Championship (PTC) events during the 2011-12 snooker season. He participated in all 12 events, securing his first win at the final event, the FFB Snooker Open, where he defeated Jamie Burnett 4-1 before losing to Stephen Maguire by the same scoreline. He finished 115th on the PTC Order of Merit. Later, he was a finalist at the ACBS Asian Snooker Championship, where he lost 2-5 to Hossein Vafaei. Despite the loss, Vafaei had already qualified for the main tour, which granted Zhang a place for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
4.2. Regaining Tour Status and First Breakthroughs (2012-2016)
In the 2012-13 snooker season, Zhang experienced early round exits in the qualifying stages of the first three ranking events. He participated in all three of the new minor-ranking Asian Players Tour Championship events, reaching two quarter-finals, where he lost 3-4 to Michael White and 2-4 to Li Hang, respectively. He finished 10th on the Asian Order of Merit, narrowly missing qualification for the PTC Finals. His first ranking event win came with a 6-5 victory against Li Yan in the International Championship qualifying, though he was then defeated 3-6 by Alfie Burden. Zhang's best qualifying run was for the World Open, where he beat Michael Wild 5-3, Luca Brecel 5-4, and Rory McLeod 5-2, but lost 4-5 to Jamie Cope in the final qualifying round. His season concluded with a 5-10 loss to Michael White in the third round of the 2013 World Snooker Championship qualifying, and he ended the year ranked world number 77.
For the 2013-14 snooker season, Zhang qualified for the 2013 Australian Goldfields Open by winning three consecutive matches, each by a score of 5-4. In the first round of the main event, he achieved a significant win by defeating world number 20 Andrew Higginson 5-1, marking his first appearance in the last 16 of a ranking event. He was then defeated 5-1 by world number two Mark Selby. Zhang also qualified for the 2013 Indian Open, where he beat Alan McManus 4-1 before losing 4-3 to Michael White. In the minor-ranking European Tour events, his best performance was reaching the quarter-finals of the Gdynia Open in Poland, losing 2-4 to Fergal O'Brien. Despite these strong performances, Zhang was relegated from the Main Tour at the season's end, finishing 77th in the world rankings. However, he swiftly regained his professional status by winning his final match of the first 2014 Q School event, defeating Jamie Clarke 4-3 with a match-winning 54-break in the deciding frame, securing a fresh two-year tour card for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
During the first half of the 2014-15 snooker season, Zhang played a reduced schedule. At the 2014 UK Championship, he defeated Ali Carter 6-5 in the first round, a notable win considering Carter was playing his first ranking match since lung cancer treatment. Zhang then lost 5-6 to Rory McLeod in the second round. He experienced a 0-4 whitewash against Gary Wilson in the first round of the Welsh Open and a narrow 4-5 loss to Peter Ebdon in the first round of the China Open. Zhang qualified for the 2015 World Snooker Championship, beating Anthony Hamilton 10-3, Mark Joyce 10-9, and securing a 10-9 victory against Liang Wenbo by winning the last three frames. As the world number 98, he was the lowest-ranked qualifier. In his second appearance at the World Championship, he faced Joe Perry, trailing 1-8 after the first session. Zhang showed resilience, winning the first three frames of the next session and making a 132-break, but ultimately lost 4-10.
The 2015-16 snooker season saw Zhang continue to make strides. He reached the quarter-finals of the Haining Open, defeating Liang Wenbo 4-3 before losing 3-4 to Ding Junhui. He secured his first professional event victory, the General Cup Qualifying Event, by beating Cao Yupeng 5-4 in the final. This win earned him a spot in the 2015 General Cup, where he reached the semi-finals before a 3-6 defeat to Marco Fu. Zhang qualified for the 2016 German Masters with 5-4 wins over Robert Milkins and Dechawat Poomjaeng. He then whitewashed Alfie Burden 5-0 in the opening round to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the second time in his career, where he was defeated 1-5 by Judd Trump. For the second consecutive year, Zhang qualified for the 2016 World Snooker Championship by defeating Bratislav Krustev, Mark Davis, and Zhou Yuelong. His campaign ended in the first round with a 5-10 loss to Barry Hawkins. Zhang ended the season ranked 65th, just outside the top 64. However, his strong performance, finishing joint fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, earned him another new two-year tour card.
4.3. Continued Presence and Struggles (2016-2021)
In the 2016-17 snooker season, Zhang performed well at the World Open, defeating Dominic Dale 5-1, Peter Ebdon 5-1, and Judd Trump 5-2 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the third time. However, his run was halted by a dominant 0-5 defeat to David Gilbert. He replicated this last-16 achievement at the 2016 UK Championship by overcoming Tian Pengfei 6-2, Anthony McGill 6-3, and Mitchell Mann 6-3, but lost 1-6 to Mark Selby in his attempt to reach his first quarter-final. Zhang qualified for the China Open but was defeated 1-5 by Mark Williams in the opening round.
The 2019-20 snooker season proved challenging for Zhang, as he remained outside the Top 64 for the entire season due to a relatively poor run of form and was unable to achieve his previous successes. This period of inconsistency continued into the 2020-21 snooker season. Due to his previous poor performance, he fell outside of the Top 64 and consequently lost his Tour card. He did not enter the Q School event, partly due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to his relegation from the professional tour. However, Zhang demonstrated resilience and performed strongly in the 2021 CBSA China Tour. His impressive results there earned him a new tour card for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 World Snooker Tour seasons, marking his return to the professional circuit.
4.4. Recent Success and Maiden Ranking Title (2021-present)
The 2023-24 snooker season marked a significant turning point in Zhang Anda's career. He reached the final of the 2023 English Open, where he was the runner-up, losing 7-9 to Judd Trump in a hard-fought match. One month later, he achieved a career-defining moment by reaching the final of the 2023 International Championship. After defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final, Zhang went on to win his first world ranking title, beating Tom Ford 10-6. This final also saw him achieve a remarkable 147 maximum break during the match, further cementing the significance of his victory. At the 2024 World Snooker Championship, Zhang's tournament run ended in the first round with a 4-10 defeat to Jak Jones. By October 2024, Zhang Anda had reached his highest career ranking, climbing to world number 10, a testament to his consistent improvement and recent successes.
5. Personal Life
Zhang Anda married in May 2019. Following his wedding, the couple postponed their honeymoon to allow Zhang to compete in the 2019 CBSA Chinese National Championship held in Xi'an. Zhang went on to win this tournament, defeating Zhao Jianbo 5-3 in the final, a notable achievement that coincided with a significant personal milestone.
6. Career Statistics and Achievements
Zhang Anda has accumulated several notable achievements throughout his professional and amateur snooker career, marked by appearances in various finals and consistent participation in major tournaments. His high break of 147 was recorded during the 2023 International Championship. He has also recorded 22 century breaks throughout his career.
6.1. Finals Appearances
Zhang Anda has appeared in several finals across various categories of snooker tournaments, including ranking, non-ranking, team, pro-am, and amateur events.
6.1.1. Ranking Finals
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2023 | English Open | Judd Trump | 7-9 |
| Winner | 1. | 2023 | International Championship | Tom Ford | 10-6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2024 | Players Championship | Mark Allen | 8-10 |
6.1.2. Non-ranking Finals
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2010 | The China Classic | Tian Pengfei | 3-5 |
| Winner | 1. | 2015 | General Cup Qualifying Event | Cao Yupeng | 5-4 |
6.1.3. Team Finals
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team/partner | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2018 | Macau Masters | Joe Perry, Marco Fu, Mark Williams | Barry Hawkins, Ryan Day, Zhao Xintong, Zhou Yuelong | 1-5 |
6.1.4. Pro-am Finals
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 2016 | Fuzhou Open | Zhou Yuelong | 5-1 |
| Winner | 2. | 2019 | Xi'an Open | Zhao Jianbo | 5-3 |
6.1.5. Amateur Finals
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2007 | IBSF World Under-21 Championship | Michael Georgiou | 6-11 |
| Winner | 1. | 2009 | ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship | Noppon Saengkham | 5-1 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2012 | ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship | Hossein Vafaei | 2-6 |
6.2. Tournament Performance Timeline
The following table illustrates Zhang Anda's performance in various snooker tournaments throughout his career.
| Tournaments | 2007/ | 2008/ | 2009/ | 2010/ | 2011/ | 2012/ | 2013/ | 2014/ | 2015/ | 2016/ | 2017/ | 2018/ | 2019/ | 2021/ | 2022/ | 2023/ | 2024/ | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rankings | A (Amateur) | A (Amateur) | UR (Unranked) | 70 | A (Amateur) | UR (Unranked) | 77 | QS (Q School) | 83 | ET (European Tour) | 67 | OR (One Year Ranking List) | 74 | UR (Unranked) | 70 | 58 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Non-Ranking Event | A | RR | RR | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xi'an Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Masters | Tournament Not Held | 6R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | LQ | 1R | F | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | LQ | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuhan Open | Tournament Not Held | 3R | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | LQ | LQ | 2R | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Championship | Tournament Not Held | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | Not Held | W | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | A | A | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | 2R | 2R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | QF | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot Out | Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 3R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open | Tournament Not Held | MR (Minor-Ranking) | Not Held | 2R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters | Not Held | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 2R | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | A | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | QF | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 1R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | A | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | Not Held | 3R | 1R | 1R | 2R | Not Held | 1R | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | NR (Non-Ranking) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | QF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Players Championship | Not Held | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Championship | Tournament Not Held | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | DNQ (Did Not Qualify) | QF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | A | A | 1R | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 1R | 1R | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | Ranking Event | A | A | Not Held | A | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champion of Champions | Tournament Not Held | 1R | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riyadh Season Championship | Tournament Not Held | A | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuxi Classic | NH (Not Held) | Non-Ranking Event | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields Open | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | 2R | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | A | WR (Wildcard Round) | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | WD (Withdrew) | LQ | LQ | LQ | Non-Ranking | Not Held | Non-Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hunter Classic | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | WD (Withdrew) | A | QF | NR (Non-Ranking) | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | NH (Not Held) | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | QF | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Open | WR (Wildcard Round) | A | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riga Masters | Tournament Not Held | Minor-Rank | WD (Withdrew) | 3R | LQ | 1R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Championship | Tournament Not Held | NR (Non-Ranking) | LQ | 2R | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish Masters | Tournament Not Held | LQ | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR (Minor-Ranking) | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 3R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WST Classic | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Masters | NR (Non-Ranking) | Tournament Not Held | LQ | LQ | 3R | LQ | 1R | 1R | LQ | NH (Not Held) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beijing International Challenge | Not Held | A | LQ (Lost in Qualifying) | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Cup | Not Held | A | NH (Not Held) | A | A | A | A | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot Out | Not Held | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Macau Masters | Tournament Not Held | RR (Round Robin) | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Six-red World Championship | NH (Not Held) | A | A | A | NH (Not Held) | RR (Round Robin) | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH (Not Held) | QF | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Haining Open | Tournament Not Held | Minor-Rank | SF | 4R | 4R | 4R | A | NH (Not Held) | A | NH (Not Held) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||