Mark Allen produced a stunning recovery to defeat Zhang Anda 10-6 in a gripping first-round encounter at the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
The Northern Irishman, a two-time Crucible semi-finalist, found himself trailing 6-4 after a lackluster opening session on Saturday where he failed to register a single break over 50. However, the 40-year-old transformed his performance dramatically on Sunday, winning six consecutive frames to secure his place in the last 16.
Allen's remarkable turnaround began with a magnificent 140 clearance in the 11th frame, immediately followed by a 109 break in the next. He continued his scoring spree with a third century in five frames—a 129 in frame 15—to move within one frame of victory, which he sealed with an 81 break in the 16th frame.
"I knew I had to raise my game significantly after yesterday's performance," Allen said after the match. "The 140 clearance gave me the momentum I needed, and from there I felt in complete control."
Zhang Anda, competing in his sixth Crucible appearance, struggled to respond to Allen's resurgence, scoring just 42 points in the final six frames. The Chinese player has now suffered first-round exits in all of his World Championship visits to Sheffield.
Allen will now face either 2024 champion Kyren Wilson or 19-year-old rising star Stan Moody in the second round as he continues his quest for a first world title.