Ronnie O’Sullivan plants kiss on ‘brother’ Ding Junhui’s cheek after Masters win – just like he did in 2007
- The Rocket beats the Chinese star 6-3 in the semi-finals, 12 years after thrashing him in the final
- Englishman is full of praise for Ding, saying he is a great ambassador for snooker and China
Ronnie O’Sullivan kissed a 19-year-old Ding Junhui on the cheek after thrashing him in the 2007 Masters final, telling the promising young Chinese player that he had a great future ahead of him.
Twelve years later, the Rocket repeated that gesture after beating Ding in the Masters semi-finals in London, this time saying: “I love you”, and later describing the Chinese star as his “brother”.
The pair have been close friends since Ding burst on to the scene as a teenager by winning the first of his two UK Championship titles in 2005. And the “Rocket”, 43, who beat Ding 6-3 in the semis to book a final date with Judd Trump, was effusive in his praise for the 31-year-old, saying he would not have been disappointed had his Chinese rival prevailed.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 2007 kiss on Ding Junhui
“He’s like a brother,” said O’Sullivan of Ding, who has 13 ranking titles under his belt. “If I had lost today I would not have been disappointed. I really love Ding and I would have liked to seem him go on and participate in the final and win it.