Ding and Perry charge into UK semi-finals
The 18-year-old won the battle of the young guns 9-5 against Australian rising star Neil Robertson and showed his impressive break-building is undoubtedly good enough to capture the sport’s second most prestigious ranking title.
Breaks of 102, 77 and 65 helped the Shanghai youngster to a 5-3 lead at the interval and he never looked like being pegged back on the resumption, extending his advantage to 8-4 before wrapping it up with a 92 in frame 14.
“It’s my first time in the semi-finals here so I’m very happy,” the world number 62, who will rise into the top 40 at least in the provisional rankings after this event, said through an interpreter.
“I felt quite relaxed but still not at my best. I will need to practice more to produce my best form.
“This tournament is more important to me than winning the China Open because of the ranking points available (he was ineligible for ranking points in his home event due to being a wild card).”
Robertson knew where he had gone wrong.
“I kept losing control of the cue ball and running out of position, which made it hard for myself,” said the Melbourne professional.
“In contrast, Ding’s white-ball control was absolutely fantastic. It’s maybe not quite as good as Ronnie O’Sullivan’s but I don’t know if anyone else is quite so good at that.
“I would have fancied my chances if I had got it back to 8-6 but it wasn’t to be. I’ve still had a pretty good tournament though and I know one day I will be winning events like this.”
Ding’s semi-final opponent will be world number 14 Joe Perry, who reached the last four with a 9-8 success against Stuart Bingham.
Perry was edged out in a decider by David Gray for a place in the 2004 showdown, but has a chance to make amends after he ended the superb run of Bingham, who has been in tremendous form in this season’s qualifiers and had won his last 13 matches in all competitions.
Apart from when Perry led 2-0 there was never more than a frame between the pair and after he took control of the last, an excellent long red from off the baulk cushion put it out of Bingham’s grasp.
“I came out of the traps extremely well but I got stopped in my tracks,” said Perry. “I had a few negative thoughts but nobody could have argued if I had gone 8-4 ahead.
“If someone had told me last week I would reach the semi-finals I would have bitten their hand off and I don’t want it to end here.”
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