DING JUNHUI delighted his home supporters with a 5-3 victory over Joe Perry in Beijing on Tuesday night to reach the last 16 of the China Open.
Ding, the 2005 champion, stroked in a long pink to seal victory after Perry had failed to obtain ideal position from blue to pink.
Ding was well below his best, perhaps suffering under the weight of expectation of a nation.
World No. 9 Ding struggled in the early stages and the match was in the balance at 3-3, but he showed solid matchplay and a calm nerve to win the last two frames.
Perry won the first with an impressive 62 clearance, then Ding snatched the second by clearing from last red to black. The next four were scrappy, the only highlight a 68 from Ding, which put him 3-2 up.
After Perry leveled, Ding dominated the seventh for 4-3, and he closed out victory in the next by slotting the pink into a baulk corner after Perry had missed a pot to the center when presented with a chance for 4-4.
“I thought I played well tonight,” said Ding. “I was satisfied with both my defense and attack.
“I have not lost in the first round this season but I am still not sure how far I can go in this tournament.”
Ding has been chosen to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay in the Anhui Province and added: “I am really honored to be chosen. I have watched the Olympics since I was a child and have always wanted to be an athlete and take part.”
Stephen Hendry’s disappointing season suffered another set-back as he lost 5-1 to Barry Hawkins.
Hendry won the opening frame but Dartford’s Hawkins hit back to win the next five with top runs of 102 and 64.
“I’m delighted, it’s a great scoreline,” said Hawkins, who lost 6-5 on the final black to Jamie Cope in the semifinals here last year.
“I should have been in the final last year, I threw that match away. Hopefully I can keep playing like I did today and take the trophy home this time.”
Hendry said: “I lost because Barry played better than me. I didn’t get many chances after the first frame and he was the better player. This doesn’t have any bearing on the World Championship, but it matters because I wanted to do well here. I’ll have to wait until next year.”
Ryan Day, runner-up in the Roewe Shanghai Masters, enjoyed a 5-3 win over fellow Welshman Matthew Stevens.
Stevens won the first frame of a high-quality contest with a break of 70. He added two more runs of 66 in edging a 3-2 lead. But Day found his potting boots at the right time, blasting in 123, 75 and 83 to win the last three frames.(SD-Agencies)
