In Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu Province, home favorite Ding Junhui wasted no time asserting his dominance at the World Snooker Tour (WST) International Championship on Monday. The defending champion opened with eye-catching breaks of 134 and 97 to race into a 2-0 lead, then continued to control the table, sealing a convincing 6-1 victory over England’s Michael Holt.
Ding’s smooth performance peaked in the final frame when he posted a break of 86 to wrap up the match. Up next for the Chinese star is a showdown with another English competitor, Liam Highfield, setting the stage for a high-stakes second-round clash.
Elsewhere at the tournament, fans were treated to an all-Chinese mainland battle as Zhao Xintong edged out compatriot Fan Zhengyi 6-3. The pair traded frames to stand 2-2 after four, and although Fan compiled a 62 break to edge briefly ahead, Zhao responded with a nervy 63-62 win in the fifth and then pulled clear. Fan extended the contest to eight frames, but Zhao closed out back-to-back breaks for the victory. He’ll take on fellow Chinese mainland talent Lei Peifan in round two.
With these disciplined performances, Ding and Zhao have sent a message: the hunt for the WST International Championship title is wide open, and the hometown crowd couldn’t be more excited.
Reference(s):
Ding Junhui eases through 1st round at WST International Championship
cgtn.com
