Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen earned a hard-fought 10-8 win against Zhang Anda in the Players Championship final.

China’s Zhang took an early 3-0 lead but Allen, with the help of a break of 101, recovered to end the first session level at 4-4 in Telford.

Allen fell 6-5 behind before winning three frames in a row on the way to taking a 9-7 lead.

Zhang made it 9-8 after a 37-minute frame but Allen responded by winning the next to secure victory.

A match that was more attritional than free-flowing finished close to midnight as Allen claimed an 11th ranking title of his career.

“It was tough all day. I gave it everything,” Allen told ITV. “My safety was good and kept me in the match.

“That wasn’t a lot of fun to be involved in, but I’m very happy to be standing here the winner.”