Ding Accepts Disciplinary Charge

I agree with both of you Snookerfan and Sonny.
As long as it is within the rules and there is no foul play, the players should be allowed their own ways of playing and deal with the consequences of their choices whatever that is.
Now coming to unecessary slow play, well, that's against the rules.

I can't be bothered at all with the people who bet. Nobody forces them to do so. When they bet on someone like ROS, they should know that he's unpredictable. He's been the same for nearly 20 years, so they can't claim they have been fooled. Just like the players left to deal with the consequences of their shot selection, the betting people should be left to deal with the consequences of their bets as long as there is no foul play.

Sonny wrote:It sounds like he turned up hoping to win and then realised how rubbish he felt and knew he was going to lose so he threw his arm at a few shots to see what would happen. It did give the impression of not taking the EPTC seriously but why would you travel all that way just to not try unless there was something wrong?

As someone else said, it puts Ebdon's declaration of possible poor form into perspective. We all thought he was nuts to do it but maybe we'll see more of this sort of thing?

I think in all sports you've got to be seen as trying to win, and if not then entertaining the crowd by going for shots that probably won't come off but which will look good if they do. I don't see how you can make someone try hard if they don't feel up for it though. It's a dangerous precident fining Ding for smashing into the reds from the break off. If he'd conceded at that point then yes, but he didn't.

Hopefully we can shrug it off as one of those things. If this had happened to Alex Higgins back in the day, and he was punished, he'd have done it again to wind people up.

I don't believe Ding is a troublemaker, or somebody who went out of his way to upset people. When he realised people had been upset, and immediately apologised and an explanation for his actions. Okay, they chose to fine him and he has accepted the matter.

Let's hope we can all move on, and not turn it into another debate that last weeks.

looking at that video monique posted he does look ill thats for sure but you could not let ding get away with it that would then set up a precedent for future tournaments where players just cant be bothered.

we all know some did not take the PTC Seriously but if you turn up you play to the best of your ability that what being a pro is.

id rather see a player parakeet to win than not trying any day... it shows passion and drive against anything to succeed.

I'm a little surprised by some reactions to this fine.

Personally I agree with it and I'll explain why.

Ding blatantly smashed open the reds and handed the table to his opponent.

Not playing to a good standard is one thing but not even attempting to play decently is another, especially with ranking points at stake. Anyone can have an off day and not play up to scratch, missing balls they'd normally make. In that scenario though, there's still an effort to play well which is not the case with Ding's performance.....It's not like he accidentally messed up his break off.

As a professional you'd be mighty snake hissed if you lost out on your top 16 spot because another pro just let his opponent overtake you.

It certainly doesn't help that Ding/Wenbo are both from China, a society where corruption/match fixing is rampant. All you need to do is look at the fiasco of Chinese soccer teams/refs to realize how bad it could go for snooker.

Anything remotely resembling match fixing must be dealt with immediately and harshly. Zero tolerance is the only clear cut way to deal with it.

He wasn't trying to fix a match

well how many times has ronnie blatantly played the so called wrong shot to let his opponent in he done this on numerous occasions i wouldnt be surprised if hearn does nothing because its ronnie but because it ding lets make an example of him flex our muscles show everyone we mean business

however when its a so called big gun ie higgins ronnie lets just brush it under the carpet some will call it diplomacy i call it something else and it not very nice

Can't argue when you put it like that.




Someone obviously needed to have a quiet word with Ding about perceptions and then come down hard if he does it again. But from what Monique says, Ding wasn't the only one playing bizarre shots that day, he was the only one who was put on Youtube.

jojo wrote:well how many times has ronnie blatantly played the so called wrong shot to let his opponent in he done this on numerous occasions i wouldnt be surprised if hearn does nothing because its ronnie but because it ding lets make an example of him flex our muscles show everyone we mean business

however when its a so called big gun ie higgins ronnie lets just brush it under the carpet some will call it diplomacy i call it something else and it not very nice

Bourne wrote:

jojo wrote:well how many times has ronnie blatantly played the so called wrong shot to let his opponent in he done this on numerous occasions i wouldnt be surprised if hearn does nothing because its ronnie but because it ding lets make an example of him flex our muscles show everyone we mean business

however when its a so called big gun ie higgins ronnie lets just brush it under the carpet some will call it diplomacy i call it something else and it not very nice

This I'm afraid is just nonsense. Ding is the n°1 Chinese player and is by no way a sacrificial lamb. Hearn wouldn't want to upset the Chinese Federation just for spoils.

forgot to add peole might say well this is the new stance hearn been taking after the higgins shenanigans so anything before that it got nothing to do with hearn i might be wrong but has ronnie been punished by hearn after his performance in the uk against bingham ?

i was watching that match whilst logged onto this forum when i was new and from six all ronnie did everything he could to lose anyone who disagrees has got those same specs on the ones they look through to say higgins is innocent

bull of the highest order

if hearn has punished ronnie accordingly for his uk performance then i apologise but if not then yet again its one rule for one and another for the other the snooker bosses making thesmselves look weak by selectng their punishments to each player and not being accordingly universal

Ding is a relative pussy cat who would in no way contest the charge because he lacks that self-confidence especially in England, of course it's easier to pick on him than the proper big guns. Like I said, there is absolutely zero, nada, no chance that they will carry through this rule for every example of this in the months and years to come, they just can't.

Bourne wrote:He wasn't trying to fix a match

Really? How do you know that?

Looks to me like he let his bud walk by him and get a free ranking boost.

That's not really my perception of it but to any not familiar with Ding or Wenbo or snooker but familiar with Chinese sporting corruption, it doesn't look good.

Perception is all right now and when you consider how big a problem match fixing and corruption are in China to have two Chinese players even remotely appear to be fixing something just can't be allowed.

I find it amusing that there are still some out there who think Higgins got off light. 75000 pound fine and 6 month suspension for discussing (not doing) match fixing is quite reasonable. I might've stripped him some ranking points to boot for good measure but all in all fitting punishment.

six month suspension it was but in reality it wasnt even half that because of the summer break and and planning to commit a crime is a crime in itself higgins got off lightly anyway the point i made was hearn been saying about this new tough stance but thats been proved bull as he only punishes selectively depending on reputations

The BBC website phrases it thusly;

Ding Junhui has been fined £2,000 after failing to report that he was suffering from illness before playing a match in Germany which he lost 4-0.

China's Ding was beaten comfortably by compatriot Liang Wenbo in their Euro Players Tour Championship meeting.

Tournament officials reported Ding to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

The WPBSA said the world number four had played "in circumstances where he may otherwise have properly withdrawn".

Ding complained of feeling unwell to tournament officials after the match on 23 October last year, and they informed the WPBSA.

The WPBSA's investigation found that Ding's illness had rendered him unable to "compete properly, which not only impacts on his reputation but also that of the sport".
****

At no point, does it claim that he is being fined for that one break off shot. It claims that he was fined for not announcing he had the flu until after the match. If that's what he is being fined for, then it's a farce to be honest.

If he played a shot that was so bad there was suspicion of match fixing, that's a very different thing to 'failing to announce his illness.'

Interesting to note also, the original post in this thread highlighting the article, it makes no mentioned of that break off shot.

Is it really the break off shot he is being punished for, or the fact that he didn't announce he was ill?

We've had a good debate about it, that's the main thing.

SnookerFan wrote:Interesting to note also, the original post in this thread highlighting the article, it makes no mentioned of that break off shot.

Is it really the break off shot he is being punished for, or the fact that he didn't announce he was ill?

It's not the break off but the entire match where his performance was deemed substandard. I think the final frame break off just cemented the decision.

IMO it's a step shy of accusing a player of match fixing. Had Ding not had a medical excuse for his performance it might have been investigated as such.

Personally I'm quite pleased it didn't take that turn .

Truth is no-one here knows how he played in the preceding three frames, next we'll be getting suspicious at every single whitewash in any format in matches not on TV, this is the precedent they've set with this. Very dangerous.

okay so it appeares he been fined for not reporting to the authorities before the match that he was ill

so if he didnt say anything after the match what would have happened ?

Bourne wrote:

jojo wrote:well how many times has ronnie blatantly played the so called wrong shot to let his opponent in he done this on numerous occasions i wouldnt be surprised if hearn does nothing because its ronnie but because it ding lets make an example of him flex our muscles show everyone we mean business

however when its a so called big gun ie higgins ronnie lets just brush it under the carpet some will call it diplomacy i call it something else and it not very nice

Theres a lot that was done wrong under the previous regime Barry Hearn is trying to clean up

i dont think ronnie will get the same leniency from now on it takes time to get things right Ding just happened to get caught up at a time when the big brush is out.

I think that next season all matches played for ranking points need to be filmed even if it is just a single overhead shot. If all players shots are being recorded it is fair to everyone.

disagree because when the higgins result or the lack of it came out hearn said from now on if there are any shenanigans there will be punishements accordingly yet he did buck all to ronnie after his no show from 6-6 against bingham in the second biggest tournament of them all dings match was in a relatively unknown tournament in october whereas ronnies match was in december

ding got caught at a time when the big brush is out my bottom his match was in october ronnies in december explain that to me

jojo wrote:six month suspension it was but in reality it wasnt even half that because of the summer break and and planning to commit a crime is a crime in itself higgins got off lightly anyway the point i made was hearn been saying about this new tough stance but thats been proved bull as he only punishes selectively depending on reputations

people are getting confused here.

you got to have someone to look at and say do not do something like he did.

John Higgins is that man

if anyone is stupid enough to do now what john did is history

the rules regarding betting has been so relaxed in the past the ex chairman john spencor actually encouraged insurance betting.......not any more thats been discouraged..

people are judging Barry Hearn here on the basis and how previous regime did things.

he has said when he came in firstly we educate players then we act.

he cant go on for ever educating whats right and wrong at some point players got to take responsibility of their actions.

Didn't Quintin Hann show up at an Irish Open with his flight home booked for the next day and spent the match hitting wild shots that spread the balls everywhere, it's amazing what people could get away with back then.

Ronnies mad shot at the end of the match against Tian Pengfei was as bad as what Ding took so the punishment is a bit unfair. People are entitled to play rubbish as long as they fixing matches. Being motivated and prepared mentally is probably the toughest part. Although considering Liang Wenbo's form this season the fact that he won a match 4-0 and made a final would get anyone suspicious.

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:Didn't Quintin Hann show up at an Irish Open with his flight home booked for the next day and spent the match hitting wild shots that spread the balls everywhere, it's amazing what people could get away with back then.

Ronnies mad shot at the end of the match against Tian Pengfei was as bad as what Ding took so the punishment is a bit unfair. People are entitled to play rubbish as long as they fixing matches. Being motivated and prepared mentally is probably the toughest part. Although considering Liang Wenbo's form this season the fact that he won a match 4-0 and made a final would get anyone suspicious.

the anti corruption unit has been set up now to look at things like that Ronnie miss etc ..

again people are judging things how they was done under rubbish administration that took us to 6 ranking tournaments and sod all else.

wild i still dont understand your point you say ding was caught up in a time when the big brush was out yet his match took place six weeks before ronnies and dings match as has been mentioned was in a relatively unknown tournament not the second biggest tournament of them all like ronnies match was

so why has ding been punished and not ronnie am i missing something here ?

one way or another it doesnt add up ding was punished for failing to report to the authourities before his match that he was ill as it influenced the way he played in the match or he was punished because of the peculiar shots he played

ronnie played peculiar shots left right and centre against bingham it was so obvious he actually wanted to lose

well if Dings Match was 6 weeks before Ronnies and they just come round to this match they not even started on Ronnies yet then.

well in that case if they do come round to it fair enough nothing in the news about it i wouldnt hold my breath though

they have set a stance by punishing ding and now ronnie in my opinion as much as i like him has to be punished accordingly aswell

if not then yet again utter bullocks

every investigation will start with the referee or in betting patterns bookies.

in the past snooker been guilty of being soft as hell hence this suspicion its one rule for them another for me.

Believe me Hearn doesn't act like that Whatever he is he is honest a little too honest at times.

he really doesn't give a stuff about anyones reputation all he wants is to govern a whiter than white sport.

thats one aspect of Barry ive never ever had a problem with.