Home > Snooker Masters: Ding faces O'Sullivan in final
by Reuters on 21 January 2007
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By Neil Goulding
LONDON (Reuters) - Ronnie O'Sullivan faces a mouthwatering Masters final against Chinese teenager Ding Junhui at Wembley Arena on Sunday.
Twice champion O'Sullivan made his Masters experience count to beat Scotland's Stephen Maguire 6-4 in the second of Saturday's best-of-11 frame semi-finals to set up the showdown.
Earlier, Ding reached the final with a 6-2 victory over six-time winner Stephen Hendry.
After a slow start the 19-year-old quickly found his form and, having led 3-1 at the interval, finished the job with the loss of only one more frame to oust the Scot.
"I've not reached by best form yet, but I will try to play well in the final," said Ding, speaking through a translator.
O'Sullivan, who has refused to speak to the media this week following his unprecedented walkout at last month's UK Championship, struggled to find top gear.
'The Rocket' won the opening frame with a 76 break but from then on the play was scrappy.
INTERVAL LEAD
Maguire, the 2004 UK champion, sneaked a drawn out second frame which lasted nearly half an hour before O'Sullivan won the next two to take a 3-1 interval lead.
However, refreshed and refocused following the resumption, Maguire compiled a cool 61 break and then pinched the sixth frame to level the match at 3-3.
O'Sullivan raised his game again and with an excellent 130 break -- the highest of the match -- edged ahead once more.
The match was level again as Maguire battled back before O'Sullivan sunk a 41 and then a 69 break in the final frame to book his place in this year's £130,000 final.
"I'm so embarrassed. I thought everyone was laughing at me," said O'Sullivan. "Playing like that I'll get beat in the final.
The talented Ding had started in surprisingly slow fashion against Hendry but managed to edge the opening two frames.
Back came the Scot, winner of the Masters on a record five successive occasions from 1989 to 1993, and a break of 56 saw the seven-time world champion reduce the arrears.
However, when it looked as if Hendry would level the score, the 38-year-old had a stroke of bad luck.
On a break of 42 and only needing a few more balls to square the match, he tried to pot the green which somehow bounced out of the pocket. That allowed Ding to snatch the frame with a pressure 25 clearance to lead 3-1.
Hendry hit back immediately after the resumption of play with a superb 129 break, but it only spurred Ding on.
The Asian ace pocketed a 64 break, after Hendry missed a routine black on a break of 51, to make it 4-2.
Ding then turned on the style by compiling a splendid 128 break to make it 5-2 before a 61 clinched a deserved victory.
Comments (1)
by $SAIF$ on January 21, 2007
DING IS GONA FIRE O.SULS ARSE U WATCH HE IS THE ULTIMATE KING
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