Ding Junhui of the Chinese mainland triumphed over England's Joe Perry with a decisive 5-2 victory in the second round of the World Snooker Tour (WST) World Open held in Shangrao, east China's Jiangxi Province, on Monday.
The match began with Perry taking an early lead of 1-0, capitalizing on several mistakes from Ding. However, Ding quickly responded with an impressive century break of 123, leveling the score before securing the next frame to take a 2-1 lead.
Not one to be easily discouraged, Perry fought back with a break of 87 in the fourth frame, tying the match once again. Demonstrating his exceptional skill, Ding delivered another century run of 138, regaining the advantage. Maintaining his composure, the World No. 9 played solid defense in the subsequent frames and ultimately concluded the match with a break of 68 in the seventh frame.
Reflecting on the match, Ding stated, \"I think the third frame of the match was crucial, because I made a few mistakes, which gave Perry several opportunities. So it was really tough for me to overcome those difficulties and take a 2-1 lead. I don't have any expectations for the upcoming matches. I will just try my best to play. Every player has a different style and characteristics, which presents different challenges for me, so I can only deal with various issues during the match.\"
In other exciting action at the tournament, English world champion Shaun Murphy dominated China's Zhou Jinhao with a flawless 5-0 victory, including three remarkable century breaks. Murphy's performance featured his 10th official 147 maximum break and his second of the season, elevating him to fourth place on the all-time list behind England's Ronnie O'Sullivan (15), Scotland's John Higgins (13), and Stephen Hendry (11).
Expressing his astonishment, Murphy remarked, \"I'm absolutely delighted, but I must say it was an early session, an early start. There weren't many fans this morning, so it was probably the most underwhelming 147 of all-time, but they're all special. I can't believe it – I'm blown away.\"
Reference(s):
Ding Junhui defeats Joe Perry to reach round of 32 at WST World Open
cgtn.com
