China snooker star Ding Junhui knocks out former finalist Judd Trump at the Crucible
The 29-year-old manlaind cueman holds his nerves against Englishman to advance to the quarter-finals for the fourth time in his career
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China’s Ding Junhui made good on his overnight lead to knock former finalist Judd Trump out of this year’s World Championship with a 13-10 second-round win on Monday.
Ding, who led 10-6 when play resumed on Monday, saw Trump close to within two frames, but then held his nerve to seal victory by a three-frame margin.
The Chinese cueman made a good start on Monday, winning two of the first three frames to move to within one of victory.
But Ding, forced to qualify for this year’s event at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England, then endured a nervous wait to cross the winning line before taking the 23rd frame as he reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time in his career.
Meanwhile, rising star Kyren Wilson reached the last eight by beating Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen.
Wilson led 11-5 overnight, but then saw Allen win Monday’s first four frames to spark hopes of a dramatic comeback win before breaks of 51 and 71 saw Wilson to a 13-9 victory.
Now Wilson will play former world number one Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was edging toward his earliest World Championship exit since 2009 as Barry Hawkins held onto his lead in their gripping second-round clash in Sheffield on Sunday.
Leading 5-3, Hawkins split Sunday’s eight frames with the title favourite to go 9-7 in front, needing four more for victory when the match reaches its climax on Monday evening.
Breaks of 68, 118, 82 and 89 from O’Sullivan showed he is scoring well enough – he also had 139, 88 and 103 on Saturday – but Hawkins clawed his way in front and was fighting to stay there.
O’Sullivan is seeking a sixth victory at the Crucible and a first since 2013.
On the other table, John Higgins carved out a 10-6 lead over Ricky Walden, putting the four-time world champion in a good position to set up a quarter-final against fellow Scot Alan McManus.
Earlier, Ding held all the aces in his second-round tie with Trump, leading 6-2 after Sunday’s morning session.
The Chinese star saw his lead shorten after the evening session as Trump dug in to claw back to 10-6 overnight ahead of Monday’s session.
The pair split the first four morning frames, 2011 runner-up Trump levelling the score at 2-2 when he compiled a break of 106.
But Ding was stung into action, winning the next four to reach the break in dominant form as he closes in on a quarter-final slot.
He made his fourth century of the tournament in the sixth frame, making 112 following Trump’s break.
For Trump there is a sense of history repeating itself, as he had to pull off a great escape to reach the second round against Ding’s fellow countryman Liang Wenbo after falling 7-3 behind.
Ding, who had to qualify for the Crucible after dropping out of the world’s top 16, won a record-equalling five major professional tournaments two years ago.
The 29-year-old has enlisted the services of Wales’ 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths in his bid to win the sport’s premier prize.
In a late Saturday finish, world number one Selby repelled qualifier Sam Baird 13-11.
World number 59 Baird reeled off four consecutive frames to claw his way back to level at 11-11 in the late night thriller before Selby secured the two frames required to book his quarter-final ticket.
Selby said: “I never take anything for granted and I seem to make every match hard work for myself. In patches I felt okay, and in other parts of the game I was very poor.
“At 11-7 I thought I’d done enough to almost get over the line but then my focus went all over the place. (But) I’m still in the tournament and I’ve got a chance to improve.”
Already into the last eight were Hong Kong’s Marco Fu, Scottish veteran McManus and former champion Mark Williams of Wales.
