WHEN the masters of the green baize cue off at the World Snooker Championships in England on Saturday, tens of millions of people will be watching.

But it won’t be the likes of Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, and Ronnie O’Sullivan that will draw the biggest audiences.

Instead, the blockbuster first round clash between Chinese superstar Ding Junhui and Hong Kong veteran Marco Fu is likely to claim that distinction, with the sport’s popularity in Asia on a steep upward curve.

In China, a staggering 110 million people tuned into the China Open final in 2005 when Ding made his breakthrough by beating seven-time world champion Hendry, and his showdown with Fu is likely to attract similar interest.

Ding is credited with the sport’s new-found respect in China and he has been elevated to the status of national hero, placing him alongside basketball icon Yao Ming and hurdler Liu Xiang in the popularity stakes.

The 20-year-old from Jiangsu Province is the youngest player ever to win three ranking titles — the China Open and U.K. Championships in 2005 and the Northern Ireland Trophy in 2006.

But he is in the midst of form slump, failing to make it past the quarterfinals this season. Now without a title for 19 months, there have been whispers that he is a choker.

“No one likes to be considered a mentally weak player,” Ding admitted to Chinese State media this month, saying he was determined to prove his critics wrong at the world championships in Sheffield.

Despite the lack of a recent title, Ding can take comfort in knowing he has inspired a new generation of Chinese players.

Liu Song, Tian Pengfei, Xiao Guodong and Liu Chuang have all followed him to the pro-circuit in England this season and Liu Chuang has qualified for the worlds, along with Liang Wenbo. It gives Asia four players in the 32-man draw, with China now the most competitive country for snooker after Britain and Australia.(SD-Agencies)