CBSA Qualifiers 2021: Event Two Results
Former professionals Cao Yupeng and Zhang Anda will return to the World Snooker Tour from the start of next season, after the pair came through the second qualification tournament held this week at the CBSA-WPBSA Academy in Beijing.
They will join Wu Yize and Zhang Jiankang, who on Wednesday secured two-year professional tour cards for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons by coming through the first competition organised by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association.
Cao Yupeng withstood a comeback from 17-year-old Liu Hingyu to claim a 4-3 victory and reclaim a place on the professional circuit. Liu recovered from 3-1 down to force a deciding frame, but it was the more experienced Cao who would win the decider to prevail.
Cao is a two-time ranking event finalist, narrowly losing out to Neil Robertson at the 2017 Scottish Open, and subsequently the 2018 Gibraltar Open. He reached a career-high world ranking of 38 in April 2018.
He returns to the tour following suspension which ended on 24 November 2020 after he pleaded guilty to breaches of the WPBSA Members Rules.
Zhang Anda returns to the World Snooker Tour for his third spell as a professional after he defeated Zhang Zhijie 4-0 in today’s final round.
The 29-year-old first turned professional in 2009 and has twice reached the quarter-finals of ranking events at the 2017 Indian Open and 2018 Paul Hunter Classic. He has qualified for the televised stages of the World Championship on three occasions, coming within a frame of defeating seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on his Crucible debut in 2010.
