Doherty dumped out by local star

Local hero Ding Jun Hui faces the ultimate snooker test after clinching his place in the China Open final with a stunning 6-0 victory over Ken Doherty in Beijing today.

Ding, who turned 18 on Friday, showed no signs of nerves in his first major semi-final as he stormed through to a meeting with Stephen Hendry, commonly recognised as the game’s greatest-ever player.

After winning a scrappy opener, Ding rode his luck by claiming two frames on the black to take a 3-0 lead.

Doherty, who beat Paul Hunter 5-1 in the quarter-finals, went in off the black to gift him the second and the Irishman suffered two more unlucky in-offs in the third before Ding’s 56 clearance put the teenager further ahead.

The rest of the match turned into a procession as Ding fired in breaks of 91, 126 and 117 to complete the whitewash.

“I could have been 3-1 up at the interval but instead I was 4-0 down and it was the early frames that cost me,” said Doherty, the world number seven, 17 years Ding’s senior.

“After going 3-0 down he played superbly and there was nothing I could do. He was excellent.

“I was a little surprised but he’s a really good player, a great talent. After beating Paul Hunter I had big aspirations but they evaporated out there.”

Ding had originally entered the tournament at the qualifying stage in Prestatyn but withdrew at the request of the Chinese snooker authorities, who wanted to ensure his participation in the final stages.

He beat top 16 stars Peter Ebdon and Marco Fu to reach the semi-finals before his stunning success over Doherty, which follows his 6-1 thrashing of the Dubliner at February’s Wembley Masters.

“At the start of the tournament I’d never have thought I’d be playing Hendry in the final,” Ding said.

“He will be a very difficult opponent but I’ll be trying my best to take my chances.

“Ken didn’t play very well and I was relaxed and confident, especially after beating him at Wembley.”

Hendry, now 36, won the first of his 36 ranking titles, the 1987 Grand Prix, when he was 18.

The Scot had to come through a marathon three hour 40-minute battle with Alan McManus to secure his place in the final.

He eventually prevailed 6-4 but admitted it had been a testing encounter.

“It was very tough going,” Hendry said. “I can’t remember being involved in a best-of-11-frame match that lasted so long.

“Alan plays the tactical game better than anyone in the world. His safety is second to none and that made it very hard for me to build up any kind of rhythm.

“When I’m missing balls my game goes to pieces but it doesn’t seem to bother Alan. He just keeps plodding away and that means he’s always hard to beat.”