Ding Junhui of China staged a remarkable comeback to defeat compatriot Xu Si 9-6 in the semifinals of the World Snooker Tour (WST) International Championship held in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on Saturday. He will face England’s Chris Wakelin in the final on Sunday after Wakelin edged out another home favorite, Xiao Guodong, 9-8 on Friday.
Xu Si started the match in formidable form, clinching the first three frames with impressive breaks of 69, 137, and 113, putting Ding on the back foot early on. However, Ding rallied to take the next two frames with breaks of 119 and 77, reducing the deficit to 3-2. Despite Ding’s efforts, Xu maintained the upper hand, leading 5-3 after the first session.
In the evening session, Ding displayed his resilience and experience, winning three consecutive frames to seize the lead at 6-5. Xu managed to level the match at 6-6, but a crucial miss on a tough long pot on the final green in the following frame allowed Ding to regain the advantage at 7-6.
With momentum on his side, Ding capitalized on Xu’s errors. Xu missed a red, leaving it in the jaws of the top corner pocket, which Ding turned into a break of 66 to take the 14th frame and extend his lead to 8-6.
In what would be the final frame, Xu missed a red to the top corner when leading 29-0. Ding seized the opportunity, compiling a decisive run of 58 to clinch the match 9-6 and earn his place in the final.
Ding will now aim to carry this momentum into the final against Chris Wakelin, where he hopes to secure the championship title on home soil.
Reference(s):
Home favorite Ding Junhui reaches WST International Championship final
cgtn.com
