World Snooker Championship: Ding beats King in thriller, faces O’Sullivan or Un-Nooh next
- The Asian number one wins attritional clash against England’s Mark King
- Yan Bingtao and Liang Wenbo begin their first round matches on Sunday
Ding’s win secured a second round date with either five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan or rising Thai star Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Despite the close scoreline, Ding never trailed against world No 46 King and looked to be home and dry when he moved into a 9-7 lead with a break of 67 in the 16th frame. But King mounted a spirited comeback to take it the decider after claiming the 17th and 18th frames.
The Chinese came out on top in a cagey final frame, 69-40, to book his place in round two and seal a winning return to action after six months away from the table
“Mark is a tough player,” Ding said. “There were some scrappy frames – he’s good in that.”
It wasn’t the most polished performance from Asia’s best, but a confident Ding said he was eagerly awaiting a mouth-watering second round clash.