Ding Junhui won’t be a ‘slave’ to snooker and I respect that – Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ding Junhui won his last Crucible clash against Ronnie O’Sullivan but, despite reaching the final in 2016 and winning 14 other ranking titles, he is still yet to win the sport’s ultimate prize.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has hailed his second-round opponent Ding Junhui for resisting the temptation to turn into a ‘snooker slave’ as the Chinese star continues to chase an elusive first world crown at the Crucible.

O’Sullivan has been a big fan of Ding since they first met in the 2005 Masters quarter-final and sees shades of himself in the way the 33-year-old is coping the expectations of millions of supporters in his homeland.