Ding looks to O’sullivan test in semi-finals
l Chinese cueman’s sights on title favourite after roaring back to book second-round spot
Ding Junhui has been scarred by plenty of Betfred World Snooker Championship losses but is desperate to face a razor-sharp Ronnie O’sullivan in this year’s semi-finals.
Ding was in fine form against fellow Chinese potter Xiao Guodong in the first round, storming from 2-0 down to grab an impressive 10-3 win.
But the 31-year-old, who is yet to win the title at the Crucible, is already looking ahead to a potential last-four contest with O’sullivan – the game’s standout player this year and the heavy favourite to win a sixth world title.
“I want to play Ronnie. I really do. I want to improve myself and he is the hardest to beat, so I want to play him,” he said.
“It is always a good test and I want to win every match. It is not always impossible, but I want to increase my win percentage and beat everyone else.”
Xiao, the world No 25, had only ever won one match at the Crucible Theatre before but he started like he owned the place with breaks of 82 and 54 giving him a 2-0 lead.
Ding was noticeably rusty, missing balls he would normally make in his sleep, but, as soon as he got on the board, in frame three his confidence noticeably grew.
A composed century of 124 gave him the lead and only a steady 57 from Xiao prevented Ding from winning every other frame in the session.
And then breaks of 72, 61, 51, 78 and 98 carried him over the line and into the second round for the sixth successive year.
“I am confident. I have played well but I don’t worry about my form in my games,” he said.
“I was having a laugh out there but maybe I was just leading by too many frames. I love to smile, it takes the pressure away. I just need to be nice on myself and forgive the bad shots. If I do that, then I will be dangerous in every match.”
Elsewhere, two-time champion Mark Williams took control of his first-round match with Jimmy Robertson, moving 7-2 clear at the end of a dominant first session.
Williams will be hoping to avoid becoming the latest seeded player to be dumped out, after Belgium’s Luca Brecel fell to qualifier Ricky Walden 10-6.
Walden, a former semi-finalist in Sheffield, has struggled with injury for much of the season bit has changed his technique in the build-up to this tournament to ease the pain and insists it is paying off.
“I played well in the most of the game,” he said. “It is a horrible situation to be in to qualify but my game is sharp.” l Watch the snooker World Championship live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Ronnie O’sullivan, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.