All over in a flash: Ding Junhui keeps the dream alive as he surges into quarter-finals of the world championship
The 31-year-old mainlander needs only 10 minutes to finish the job against McGill and set up a clash with Englishman Hawkins
Chinese superstar Ding Junhui spent less than 10 minutes on the table before completing a demolition job on Anthony McGill as he kept his dream alive of winning the world snooker championship title for the first time on Monday.
The 31-year-old only needed one frame to complete victory over Scotsman McGill after leading 12-4 in the evening session the previous night in their second-round clash and the mainlander made no mistake with breaks of 50 and 38 en route to a 89-1 frame victory to complete a 13-4 triumph.
Ding is determined to complete a fairy tale story as Asia’s greatest player by winning the title he’s never won in Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre – he was finalist in 2016 – and now he’s been made the bookmaker’s favourite after reigning champion Mark Selby and five-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan’s demise earlier in the tournament. Ding next plays England’s sixth seed, Barry Hawkins, in the quarter-finals.
“I was focused and relaxed and took every chance to make breaks,” said Ding, who also revealed he is going to be a father this year. “I feel good and I am playing well.
“Barry [Hawkins] is a great player. It will be a tough game. He plays well at the Crucible every year,” said the mainlander of the 14th seed.
