Alan McManus v Ding Junhui: Ding becomes first Asian player in World Championship final

ByEurosport

Updated 30/04/2016 at 16:24 GMT

Ding Junhui became the first player from Asia to make the Snooker World Championship final as he powered past Alan McManus at The Crucible.

Ding's opening red in 15th frame

Image credit: Eurosport

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Fourth session

Ding Junhui played some of the best snooker of his life as he brushed aside Alan McManus to win his World Championship semi-final 17-11.

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Starting Saturday afternoon's final session with a healthy 14-10 lead, Ding won a close-fought opener before McManus took the next to spark hopes of another fightback by the veteran Scot, following his several come-from-behind wins in the tournament.

A 123 break from Ding in the next frame battered those hopes, and the Chinese star dominated the next to claim his spot in the final, some 11 years after bursting onto the scene to win the 2005 China Open as a teenager.

Session scores (Ding first): 69-26, 44-60, 123-1 (123), 67-8

Third session

Ding Junhui took a 14-10 lead after the third session of his World Championship semi-final against Alan McManus with some magnificent snooker.

Both players' pot success percentages were well into the 90s, but it was Ding who came out on top as he claimed five out of the eight frames played on Friday evening.

At one point the Chinese star was on for a 147, but after running out of position he eventually failed with a fine cut on the final red.

Ding's attempt at a 147 break falls agonisingly short

McManus stumbled entering the arena, but recovered to win the first frame of the night with a staggering clearance.

Mc Manus takes 17th frame with ridiculously good clearance

Ding then pounced, claiming the next three in a row to look like running away with the match.

But McManus dug in with breaks of 59 and 81 to get to back within two frames - only for Ding to claim the next two, including pinching an agonising 24th frame after McManus missed a black off its spot to end a break of 50.

McManus tries crazy pot on final black

Third session scores (McManus first): 58-44, 17-108 (80), 17-59, 0-113 (113) 115-17 (59), 81-0 (81), 17-67 (60), 53-60

Second session

Ding Junhui's grip on his semi-final against Alan McManus was rocked as the veteran Scot roared back from 9-3 down to end up 9-7 behind after Friday morning's second session.

Ding opened up the second session as he'd ended the first, playing McManus off the table with breaks of 138, 90 and 97 to claim three of the first four frames of the day.

But the Chinese star seemingly had his rhythm disrupted by the mid-session interval: McManus won all four frames after the players returned, his confidence rocketing as the session continued.

The Scot made three centuries in the session, and attempted to crown them with trick shots as he closed in on Junhui - one of which came off, cementing a clearance of 136.

McManus rounds off 136 break with trick-shot on black

Second session: 138-0 (138), 16-107 (107), 91-43 (90), 97-5 (97), 1-70, 0-136 (136), 63-87 (McManus 55), 0-125 (125)

Alan McManus wraps up century with another trickshot black

First Session

McManus was forced to sit and suffer in his first semi-final appearance at the sport's biggest tournament since 1993 as Ding rolled in breaks of 100, 84, 131, 62, 100 and 128 to open up a four-frame lead before they resume for their second session at 10am on Friday morning.

McManus has plenty of time to recover, and will probably be quietly content to escape from the session with two frames after Ding dominated to lead 5-0.

But the Scotsman will have to start scoring heavier when his chances come along with Ding threatening to run away with matters having thumped Mark Williams 13-3 with a session to spare in the quarter-finals.

The first man to reach 17 frames reaches the final with the winner facing Mark Selby or Marco Fu in the final on Sunday and Monday.

Ding starts match with a century

First session: 113-0 (100), 118-8 (84), 131-0 (131), 107-31 (62), 100-8 (100), 27-73, 8-74, 128-0 (128)

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