CHINA CHEERS AS DING MOUNTS COMEBACK
DING JUNHUI fou ght back from a disastrou s start to leave the World Snooker Championship final poised for a tantalising finale on Monday.
An estimated 150 million people in China tu ned in yesterday to watch Ding become the first Asian player to compete in the final at Sheffield’s Cru cible Theatre.
Bu t two-time finalist Mark Selby bru shed off a late finish to his semi-final the previou s day and raced into a 6-0 lead.
Ding appeared shellshocked bu t he rallied to cru cially pinch the final two frames of the afternoon session before continu ing his momentu m into the evening and narrowing his deficit to 8-7 in the best-of-35 clash.
Selby – the 2014 champion and 2007 ru nner-up – produced his best snooker of the tou rnament to become the first man to win the opening six frames of a World Championship final since John Parrott against Jimmy White in 1991.
The Leicester cu eman started like a man possessed, showing his intentions with a 91 clearance in the opening frame before reeling off the next five, inclu ding a classy 120 break in frame fou r. Bu t Ding ensu red won five of the next seven frames – inclu ding breaks of 76, 103 and 89.
The world No.17 also triu mphed in the last frame of the afternoon session to make it 6-2.
Selby won the first frame of the evening bu t Ding produced three consecutive framewinning breaks in one visit to make it 7-5.
Selby stopped the rot in frame 13 bu t once again his opponent demonstrated his ability to score heavily and qu ickly as a fluent 86 break narrowed the deficit to two frames again. A marathon 15th frame also went to Ding.
Watch the World Championship LIVE on Eu rosport, with Colin Mu rray and analysis from Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Su llivan.