Ding Beats Trump In Classic Semi-Final - World Snooker
On the evening of December 2, 2023 at 11:10PM, something new and exciting was happening.
Ding Junhui has made it to the finale of the MrQ UK Championship for the fifth time, following a thrilling 6-4 triumph over Judd Trump in York.
Ding's career has experienced several incredible moments during the UK Championship. Back in 2005, the Chinese star shot to fame after winning the China Open and then defeating Steve Davis in the UK final to secure his first Triple Crown victory. He added to his collection by capturing the championship in 2009 and 2019, defeating competitors such as John Higgins from Scotland and Stephen Maguire. However, Ding was a close second to Mark Allen for the title just last year.
The upcoming match is going to be a huge face-off between the top two snooker players in the world. This will be the first time in a while that O'Sullivan and Ding have faced off head-to-head for a championship since the World Grand Prix in 2018, where O'Sullivan won 10-3. However, Ding managed to defeat O'Sullivan 6-0 in their last encounter at the UK Championship.
In tonight's match, Ding managed to defeat the player who has been performing exceptionally well this season. Trump had previously won three consecutive titles at the English Open, the Wuhan Open, and the Northern Ireland Open, and had also been the runner-up at the Champion of Champions tournament. However, Trump was unable to secure a spot in yet another final this week.
At the start of the match, the first four rounds were shown. Trump then made a great break of 124, allowing him to take the lead at 3-2. Ding made a controlled move in the sixth round to even the score, and then had a century run of 110 which gave him the lead at 4-3. Trump responded with a break of 105 to tie it up once again, however Ding got closer to winning by making a splendid break of 88, taking him to a lead of 5-4.
During the tenth game, Trump made a crucial move, but when it seemed like he might force a tiebreaker, he unexpectedly missed a red ball and scored only 31 points. Ding took advantage of Trump's mistake and made a game-winning play, scoring 84 points to secure his spot in the final match.
"I feel confident playing here in York, and it all began back in 2005," stated Ding, who is 36 years old. "It makes me pleased to witness my performance improve like this. Usually, I don't battle as hard as I did in this challenging match. But today, I kept pushing myself, saying 'come on' and persevering."
I knew I had to bring my A-game as my opponent had been killing it this season. His performance in countless tournaments had boosted his confidence and I couldn't afford to underestimate him in the semi-finals. It was clear that both of us would be at our best on that day.
Playing against Ronnie in the final is amazing. We haven't had many opportunities to compete against each other in the past. The fans in China are particularly fond of this matchup. Personally, I enjoy going up against Ronnie, and I hope to perform at my peak level to potentially come out on top. I've dreamed of this moment for a long time since he was my childhood hero.
Trump expressed that he did not perform at his best level throughout the entire tournament. He claimed that he was managing to win by counting on his opponent to make mistakes. In addition, Ding played exceptionally well and did not usually miss any easy shots. Trump admitted to making minor errors, and the balls he attempted did not react as they did in the first few games. Trump recognized that it was all about the small details of his performance.
