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After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Roland

http://www.worldsnooker.com/china_open1 ... tm?tid=152



"I'm over the moon to win again. It's been a long time coming but I've kept working hard and I felt that in the end the results would come," said the 35-year-old, who now has 17 ranking titles to his name including six in Asia. "The match today was a very high standard, we both played well. I felt I was a bit unlucky to lose the first session 5-4, but I knew if I could keep calm and play the way I have been all week, I would have a chance. My attitude all week has been not to let it affect me when things have not been going the right way.

"My safety, my long pots and my break-building have been good and I hope I can take this form now into the World Championship. My biggest goal for the season was to make sure of my top 16 place so it's great to have that as well as a title before Sheffield.

"Ding played well today and if he keeps that up he will be one of the favourites. He is more than capable, and after Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins he is the man to beat. At the end of the match tonight we were asking each other who we are playing in the first round at the Crucible, and I said 'thank God I don't have to play you.'

"I may have more experience than Ding, but I'd not been in a final for four years so that didn't mean much. The pressure was on him because there's a lot of expectation from the crowd, but he handles it so well."

Ding, who missed out on his second ranking title of the season having won the Pukka Pies UK Championship in December, said: "I played very well and didn't make many mistakes. But Mark dominated a lot of frames in the second session, so I had no chance.

"I didn't give up, but it was hard because he wasn't missing. To play a best-of-19 match was good preparation for me for the World Championship and I will try my best there."

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Bourne

Fair play Mark, he recognises talent when he sees it ! Although i'm disappointed with the result obviously, as Ding says it's good to get a BO19 match in, even though the result didn't go his way. Of course he won the UK over the distances too so that bodes well, and a damn good draw early on. His record may stink in Sheffield but then again, he's only lost to Hendry there the last couple years and his ranking is practically solely made up of Sheffield points. Pettman shouldn't be a hurdle too high, and from then, who knows ? Ding's the form man this season !

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Bourne

Sonny wrote:OK then if Ding and JH meet at the Crucible, the winner of that match will be man of the season :)

Offer me that match-up now, and I won't turn it down ! But my inkling says Robbo will do Higgins :huh2:

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Alex0paul

Bourne wrote:
Sonny wrote:OK then if Ding and JH meet at the Crucible, the winner of that match will be man of the season :)

Offer me that match-up now, and I won't turn it down ! But my inkling says Robbo will do Higgins :huh2:


My inkling says Fu will do Robertson

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

Alex0paul wrote:
Bourne wrote:
Sonny wrote:OK then if Ding and JH meet at the Crucible, the winner of that match will be man of the season :)

Offer me that match-up now, and I won't turn it down ! But my inkling says Robbo will do Higgins :huh2:


My inkling says Fu will do Robertson

And want star sign are you? <laugh>

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Casey

Bourne wrote:
Sonny wrote:OK then if Ding and JH meet at the Crucible, the winner of that match will be man of the season :)

Offer me that match-up now, and I won't turn it down ! But my inkling says Robbo will do Higgins :huh2:


Robbo has only got past round 2 in one tournament this season. His confidence MUST be low, I reckon Higgins will come very close to defending the title. That’s something that hasn't happened in 14 years so it just shows how hard it is.

Re: After Ronnie and Higgins, Ding is the man to beat - Williams

Postby Wildey

i still place Selby and Robbo ahead of Ding at the World Championship...ive not seen enough of Ding's staying power playing session snooker to have a possitive opinion of him over that distance.