Anda downs Higgins to set up Selby semi-final in Players Championship

Zhang Anda prevented a John Higgins comeback to win 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship on Friday evening.

The match was delayed slightly at the start as spectators and players left the arena when someone watching the game was taken ill.

When the players returned to resume, the first frame was a scrappy affair, with both having chances to take the frame but eventually Higgins won out for the lead.

However, Anda responded in electric fashion as he rolled in a break of 102 to level matters and after Higgins made a break of 58, he stole in to take the lead with the third frame as he notched another half-century break, this time of 79.

At this stage Anda was absolutely rolling. In the fourth frame Higgins managed to pot one red before he left the table and then Anda knocked in a break of 84 to move to a 3-1 lead at the interval.

Any hopes of a break or change in fortunes for Higgins after the interval were short-lived as Anda picked up where he left off with a stellar break of 104.

In the sixth frame Higgins at least got to nine points, as opposed to not getting a single point in the previous frame, but again he was helpless as Anda dominated at the table with a break of 95 this time.

Higgins finally hit back to stop Anda’s monstrous run of form with a break of 84, and things may have felt a little nervy for Zhang when he lost the following frame 60-39 as the deficit was reduced to two.

Those nerves started to tell as Higgins hit a half-century to go just a frame behind and a deciding frame looked to be on the cards with the veteran holding his nerve and putting on the pressure.

Anda then steadied himself with a half century of his own to clinch the victory, and a place in the semi-final where he will face Mark Selby on Saturday night.

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