Outstanding Fan Zhengyi secures 6-5 victory over Ryan Day in 2022 Champion of Champions group final epic

Fan Zhengyi recorded a brilliant 6-5 victory against an impressive Ryan Day in their Champion of Champions group final on Tuesday night.

Fan got off to a bright start when he compiled an impressive 135 break, the 14th century of his nascent career, to go a frame up.

In response, Day made a frame-winning break of 87, unable to add to his own career century tally of 419.

Two more comfortable frames came for the 42-year-old – twice the age of his opponent – winning 79-1 and then 72-0 to go 3-1 ahead in the best-of-11 tie.

Another big century from Fan of 130 reduced the deficit to one, with the match threatening to go the distance, and the Chinese took the scores to 3-3 with a battling 52, before another big break of 68 took him back in front and two frames from the win.

The heavy scoring continued as Fan laid down a break of 57 but that was not enough as Day hit 72 in one visit, enough to keep the younger man at bay and draw the scores level once again at 4-4.

However Fan continued to put numbers on the board and another 57 edged him ahead again, but – perhaps predictably – the game moved to another decider courtesy of a 93 break from the Welshman as neither man let their standards drop.

In the final frame, Fan looked to have let Day in for what could have been a decisive break but he failed to end up on a red and let the youngster back in, before Fan battled his way to a superb victory in a memorable tie.