China's billiards sensation Ding Junhui stormed to World Snooker
Championships final for the first time after failing three
consecutive vying for the berth during the past three years.
The 19-year-old Chinese dispatched Mark Davis, 35, of Wales 10-6
in the best-of-19 qualification game in Sheffield of England on
Wednesday night, making his way to the Crucible Theater in the
center of the city, where the snooker championships has been held
since 1977.
Ding was in dire need of a win after the final defeat to Ronnie
O'Sullivan at British Masters in January and tow early exits at
Open tournaments in February.
Hungry for being world No.1, the young man has been longing for
the championships as potters competing in this tournament will get
double ranking award than the ranking competitions.
The nine frames before the interval saw the two potters exchange
lead. Ding snatched the first two frames on the trot after Davis
fought back with four consecutive frames, with the third one as a
129 break. Ding slotted home the following two frames to draw the
game 4-4 but his opponent took himself within one frame of the
victory with a second century break of 117.?
It was a long deadlock in the tenth frame when Ding spend about
40 minutes to level the game 5-5 after the two competing close runs
of 39 and 32 by potting the pink. Then Ding whitewashed Davis 80-0
to win the one-sided 11th frame.
With one frame lead, Ding, however, dropped the next 28-57 to
allow Davis on equal terms again with him.
The following two frames were similar to each other: Davis fell
after coming-from-behind break to send Ding two frames for
good.
Davis, however, never expected that was his last time at the
table as Ding's two century breaks of 114 and 122 sealed the whole
game 10-6.
Ding will make debut at the World Snooker Championships late
April.
(China Daily March 16, 2007)