China's Zhang Out of this World
Anda Zhang lost by ten-frames-to-six against Andrew Pagett in the opening qualifying round of the 2011 Betfred.com world snooker championship at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
They say a week is a long time in football, well the same can be said about twelve months in snooker.
A year ago China’s teenage sensation Anda Zhang successfully negotiated four qualifying rounds making a brace of century breaks to round off a 10-8 win over Ricky Walden and book himself a clash with seven time world champion, Stephen Hendry at the home of snooker.
Yesterday, though the youngster crashed out in the first qualifying round to Wales’ Andrew Pagett.
Pagett stormed into a three-frames-to-nil lead with a highest break of 59 before Zhang reduced his arrears before the interval with a run of 52.
When they returned ‘Mighty Mouse’ as he is affectionately known on the circuit won a scrappy fifth followed by a 101 in the next to level the scores at 3-3.
Although Zhang has failed to reproduce the kind of form that took him all the way with Hendry finally looked like he was back to his best by taking his fourth frame in a row to lead 4-3 with a break of 56.
It was Zhang who had chances early in frames eight and nine but squandered allowing the Welshman to win them both with breaks of 40 and 74 to lead by a single frame at the half way stage.
In the evening session, Zhang made the first move and levelled once again with a break of 66 and preventing his opponent from scoring a point.
Pagett regained the lead in the next and with the help of a break of 63 doubled his advantage in frame twelve.
Frame 13 remained in the balance until Pagett created an opportunity with a few reds left and moved three ahead with a break of 54.
After adding the next frame Zhang found himself four down with five to play and although he won frame 15, it was merely delaying the inevitable as Pagett secured a good win in the next.
Anyone that knows Pagett will know that the 28-year-old from Blackwood is not lacking in confidence and believes he can repeat Zhang’s achievement of 2010 and add his name to the list of players who have competed on snooker’s most famous stage.
There is always one ‘Cinderella’ story that comes out of the World qualifiers and perhaps this year will be Pagett’s year.
Wales’ Two-time world champion and occasional practice partner of Pagett, Mark Williams commented “It would be great to see Pag get through the Crucible.
“He would then be in the draw for me to get!”, he added.
Elsewhere, England's Simon Bedford comfortably saw off Thaialnd's Noppon Saengkham whilst China's Xiao Guodong edged past Kurt Maflin, ending the Norwegian's recent run of good form.
Ben Woollaston won a close battle with fellow Englishman, Jamie O'Neill winning by ten-frames-to-eight.
Kuldesh Johal produced three century breaks during his 10-8 win against the highly rated 20-year-old, Liam Highfield, while Thai veteran James Wattana heads the breaks board with a superb 141 totla clearance as he eased past Justin Astley 10-3.
There were also wins for Michael White, David Gilbert, Paul Davison, Liu Chuang, Patrick Wallace, Sam Baird, Liu Song, James McBain, Joe Delaney and Kyren Wilson.
