November 26th 2024.
On Tuesday night at the Barbican in York, Zhang Anda achieved perfection in his first round match against Lei Peifan in the UK Championship. It was the third time in his career that he had made a 147, a flawless performance that left the world number 11 buzzing with excitement. Eurosport pundit Ronnie O'Sullivan couldn't help but praise Zhang's perfect maximum break, saying, "That was great. He'll be buzzing, it's a great feeling to make a 147."
O'Sullivan went on to explain why Zhang's break was so impressive, noting that he was always in control and never out of position. In his opinion, some players may make a 147 with some luck involved, but Zhang's break was flawless from start to finish. O'Sullivan also praised Zhang's composure and confidence, saying, "Such a good positional player. He's composed. When you've got such good positional play, inside you feel calm because you're confident you're going to get on the ball."
Zhang's perfect break not only secured him a win but also a share of the high break prize of £15,000. However, there is a much bigger prize at stake for Zhang, as any player who makes two 147s across the Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Masters will win £147,000. With his first maximum in the UK Championship, Zhang is now one step closer to this huge prize.
Noppon Saengkham has also made a 147 at the Saudi Arabia Masters, meaning he and Zhang are the only two players who are now one maximum away from the massive prize. This is not the first time that Zhang has achieved a perfect break, as he has previously made maximums in European Masters qualifying back in 2022 against Anton Kazakov and in the International Championship final last year as he beat Tom Ford.
Zhang's maximum break is the sixth one of the season on the World Snooker Tour and the 208th ever in professional competition. It is also a historic moment for the UK Championship, as it marks the first time in 37 years since Willie Thorne made the first 147 in the tournament back in November 1987. Over the years, many other top players such as Peter Ebdon, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Mark Selby have also achieved this feat in the UK Championship.
Zhang's perfect break in the UK Championship has once again solidified his position as one of the top players in the world of snooker. With his impressive skills and composure, it is no surprise that he has now joined the ranks of the greats who have achieved a maximum break in this prestigious tournament. Fans will surely be eagerly waiting to see if Zhang can make another maximum in this event, the Masters, or the World Championship and take home the coveted £147,000 prize.
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