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Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Andre147

Following Ding's shocking defeat yesterday at the hands of young prospect Michael Wasley, we may start to wonder:

With the dream season Ding had, what better chance than this to win the World Title? If not now after that brilliant season, then when? He still has time on his side, but I honestly have my doubts...

Of course I know many will say Hendry for instance in that 1991 season he didn't win the World Title, so maybe Ding's best chance will come when he hasn't won many titles that particular season.

Burnout though is out of the question here, but it's very intesresting to note prior to this season Ding could only really play his A game in the UK, now it's the total opposite, he plays his A game abroad and especially in China.

At the Masters, UK and Worlds this season, plus the CoC he had terrible runs in all of those, well apart from UK but even that one wasn't very good, so he needs to sort things out.

But it does raise some serious question marks over Ding, and along with Jimmy White he may go down as the best player never to win a World Title, but I hope it doesn't come to that.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Cloud Strife

I don't think he will.

As good a player as he undoubtedly is, he clearly lacks a certain something upstairs in the mental department, in a similar way to Jimmy. Having said that, at least Jimmy was being denied by two of the best ever in Davis and Hendry. He certainly wasn't losing to the Michael Wasley's of this world.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

No chance, some people just naturally shine at the crucible and ding ain't one of them. Don't know why I think that as ding is obviously a great champ but just don't see him lifting it.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby SnookerFan

His record at Sheffield is appalling for somebody of his talent.

But if you'd have started a thread a year and a half ago; "Will Ding ever again win a ranking title in China?", a lot of people would've said that was unlikely.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby SnookerFan

It's hard to tell with Ding.

A lot of the commentators were saying that he would be replaced with Liang Wenbo as China's most successful player. As he had a mental block against winning.

It wasn't that long ago people thought he couldn't play well in China. He's won several ranking tournaments this year there.

The Crucible is the one mental block left for him. I believe that it's his lack of confidence that prevents him winning there. Not lack of skill.

Maybe he'll overcome it as spectacularly as he did in China.

Though, at the moment, it looks like he won't. Ever.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Wildey

Lucky wrote:He may well the 2018 worlds.....in Shanghai.

there would be even more pressure on him to deliver a World title on home soil

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

That result last night in isolation wasn't too bad as he was unlucky at the end but he has constantly failed to perform at the Crucible and it's hard to see how that's going to change. He's not even a Jimmy White type nearly man. When he lost that great match to Trump in 2011 I thought that might be his best chance and that remains the only year that he's been at his best there. The main thing in his favour is that he's still young and is bound to have another run to the later stages and once he's there he mightn't feel the pressure as much. He certainly didn't bottle it when he made the semi's three years ago. Someone like Guodong or Liang Wenbo having a good run would help him too.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

People say he's still young, time on side ect but he's only a couple of years away from the age Hendry never won a wc again. Of course he could and should play well into his 30's but form is not set in stone. This could have been his best year for it.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Andy Spark

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:People say he's still young, time on side ect but he's only a couple of years away from the age Hendry never won a wc again. Of course he could and should play well into his 30's but form is not set in stone. This could have been his best year for it.


The Hendry era was easier, therefore the players were younger before "decline" seemed to set in because they had the additional problem of trying to compete in a stronger era following the opening of the pro game. These days Ding still has time on his hands because people don't reach their peak until about 29/30, that's the legacy of playing in a stronger era and especially an era where the standard at the top is not getting better.

Ding just needs to come into the Crucible with a stronger psychological foundation and there is no reason why he can't nick the odd world title before decline sets in. Ding mucked everything up this season (as in previous seasons) by burning himself out, it was silly really, but maybe pressure was applied in China by people that don't understand the mental demands of the sport. He needs to be strong enough to stand up to these pressures, look at his playing schedule and plan it around the majors, not the demands of the Chinese media. Also, he needs to do more physical fitness work too.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby vodkadiet

He won't win. He is a mental midget, like most players these days. The standard has got worse, and considerably so. Doherty vs McManus 'The Crucible last 16 Trilogy' box set is coming out soon, and many cannot believe how this can happen. Having said that Michael Wasley has won a match at The Crucible so I will believe anything!

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Roland

Yes of course he will win it. I knew something like this would come up after Wazza beat him. Ding compared the match to playing Judd in 2011. Wasley was on fire, Ding losing was one of those things. Just look at the key shots in the decider - had the previous shot to the fluke been 3mm shorter of pace Ding had an easy out and would have won, and then the fluke. Calling Ding a mental midget is crazy! He played a perfect deciding frame showing big balls and somehow fate conspired against him.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Andre147

Sonny wrote:Yes of course he will win it. I knew something like this would come up after Wazza beat him. Ding compared the match to playing Judd in 2011. Wasley was on fire, Ding losing was one of those things. Just look at the key shots in the decider - had the previous shot to the fluke been 3mm shorter of pace Ding had an easy out and would have won, and then the fluke. Calling Ding a mental midget is crazy!He played a perfect deciding frame showing big balls and somehow fate conspired against him.


I wonder who here is clueless enough to call him that rofl <doh>

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby vodkadiet

Andre147 PGC wrote:
Sonny wrote:Yes of course he will win it. I knew something like this would come up after Wazza beat him. Ding compared the match to playing Judd in 2011. Wasley was on fire, Ding losing was one of those things. Just look at the key shots in the decider - had the previous shot to the fluke been 3mm shorter of pace Ding had an easy out and would have won, and then the fluke. Calling Ding a mental midget is crazy!He played a perfect deciding frame showing big balls and somehow fate conspired against him.


I wonder who here is clueless enough to call him that rofl <doh>


Andre, you seem obsessed with me. You come across as a very small minded person craving attention. That reminds me of a snooker player you support...

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Snooker Overdrive

vodkadiet wrote:He won't win. He is a mental midget, like most players these days. The standard has got worse, and considerably so. Doherty vs McManus 'The Crucible last 16 Trilogy' box set is coming out soon, and many cannot believe how this can happen. Having said that Michael Wasley has won a match at The Crucible so I will believe anything!


What's your problem with Michael Wasley?

You complain that most players nowadays lack mental strength, so you should be happy we have a young player who doesn't. :shrug:

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Andre147

Haven't given my personal opinion on this as first post was just to bring up this issue.

I think Ding will win a World Title, this defeat may have actually been a blessing in disguise for him, and I certainly don't want to use the burnout excuse to his loss but you know after the brilliant season he's had he put a hell of a lot mental strengh in the tournaments he did win, plus China Open being so close to the Worlds this year didn't exactly help matters.

But he was possibly one ball away from winning this match because had Wasley not fluked that he would have left that red on I think and Ding most likely would have cleared up, and sometimes top players have to come through those matches and then suddently confidence grows and they go on to win the whole tournament. We'll never know for sure if that would happen this year had he won that match, but anyway.

He definately needs to start play well again in the UK, because he had poor results this season in the Big tournaments in the UK like I said in my initial post.

In short I think he may win only 1 World Title but that will surely be more than enough to rank him alongside the greats of the game. I honestly hope he does, because I certainly don't him to go down along with Jimmy as the best player never to have won the World Title, that would be just awful for a player of his calibre, as it was for White but nothing he can do about that now. <laugh>

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby SnookerFan

Sonny wrote:Yes of course he will win it. I knew something like this would come up after Wazza beat him. Ding compared the match to playing Judd in 2011. Wasley was on fire, Ding losing was one of those things. Just look at the key shots in the decider - had the previous shot to the fluke been 3mm shorter of pace Ding had an easy out and would have won, and then the fluke. Calling Ding a mental midget is crazy! He played a perfect deciding frame showing big balls and somehow fate conspired against him.


We heard you the first time.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Snooker Overdrive

Andre147 PGC wrote:Haven't given my personal opinion on this as first post was just to bring up this issue.

I think Ding will win a World Title, this defeat may have actually been a blessing in disguise for him, and I certainly don't want to use the burnout excuse to his loss but you know after the brilliant season he's had he put a hell of a lot mental strengh in the tournaments he did win, plus China Open being so close to the Worlds this year didn't exactly help matters.

But he was possibly one ball away from winning this match because had Wasley not fluked that he would have left that red on I think and Ding most likely would have cleared up, and sometimes top players have to come through those matches and then suddently confidence grows and they go on to win the whole tournament. We'll never know for sure if that would happen this year had he won that match, but anyway.

He definately needs to start play well again in the UK, because he had poor results this season in the Big tournaments in the UK like I said in my initial post.

In short I think he may win only 1 World Title but that will surely be more than enough to rank him alongside the greats of the game. I honestly hope he does, because I certainly don't him to go down along with Jimmy as the best player never to have won the World Title, that would be just awful for a player of his calibre, as it was for White but nothing he can do about that now. <laugh>


Very good post, Andre.

If he had won that decider, I'm pretty sure he would have made at least the semis this year, it would have given him a massive boast.

Ding was unlucky to lose against Wasley but things like that happen. Unlike after his shocking defeat to Day two years ago, he dealt with the defeat quite well this time.

He's playing consistently to the highest standard on the tour next to Ronnie and Robbo and is considerably younger than these two. He's maturing every year and he's dealing with pressure situations extremely well now. Like Sonny said, he played a perfect decider and still lost.

Ding will win the World Title, he's just too good not to.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby SnookerFan

The talk of burnout reminds me. Ronnie was in the paper the other day -well I say paper, he was in The Sun- saying that a lot of other professionals were playing in too many tournaments, and being too tired when the Worlds come rounds. He said that was why he's won in the last two years.

A few years ago he also said the World Championship was a boring tournament, and it should be more like Power Snooker. So take what you will from his comments.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby TheRocket

I don't see a reason why Ding shouldn't win the World Championship. There isn't any player on the tour, being younger than him and better which is a huge advantage for him and he is still young and he's gonna get many chances to win the World.

Ronnie , probably Dings biggest bogey opponent is already 38 and won't play the high standard, he's playing atm for ever. Players like Robertson, Selby, Allen, Trump can annoy Ding but if Ding plays well, I expect him to beat all these players.

I'm saying that Ding is gonna win the world within the next two attempts.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Skullman

I'm sceptical because Ding hasn't got a good record here and his level seems to drop for some reason. It's not the Robbos and Selbys he had trouble with, but players he should beat, like Hawkins, Day and Wasley.

Re: Will Ding ever win a World Title?

Postby Roland

His level didn't drop in the second session. I missed the first but apparently at 3-3 he was all over the place but I joined at 6-3 so he obviously won the next 3 frames after that. I wished Wazza luck before the game, obviously thinking he was going to lose something like 10-5 but he played just amazing snooker for the entire rest of the match. It was like when Rossol beat Nadal at Wimbledon that time. He put Ding right under it, and Ding kept responding but Wasley kept responding back.

Ding has won 5 rankers this season, he's been playing the best snooker of his career and he's still only 26. He will walk away with at least 3 world titles in the next 10 years, mark my words.