Ding Junhui leads Mark Selby, 5-3 – 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship
The world number four, Ding Junhui, has ended his opening session with a 5-3 lead over Mark Selby, in the best-of-twenty-five frames quarter-final match of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, which is being staged at the Crucible
Theatre, Sheffield.
It was yet another accomplishing performance from the Chinese top cueist, who in his previous round made a dramatic comeback against Stuart Bingham to book a place in the quarter-finals for the first time. The overall score-line between both
players was 124 (124)-5, 12-115 (58, 53), 22-96 (63), 0-112 (65), 47-78, 138 (81, 57)-0, 0-116 (77) and 5-74(74).
The world number three, Selby, who completely demolished the seven-time world champion, Stephen Hendry, in the previous round, started the session with a dazzling century break of 124 to draw the first blood 0-1. This was Mark Selby’s eighth
century of the tournament.
It looked as if the 27-year-old Englishman, who is one of the favourites, as per the bookies, is again going to produce something extraordinary before the Chinese Sensation, Ding Junhui, bounced back, with all of his zeal, energy and strength,
and won four frames straight.
The 24-year-old Chinese Sensation, however, showed no reeling effects and clinched following four frames on a bounce to lead 4-1. He also fired up classy breaks of 58, 63 and 65 in the match.
Though the Jester from Leicester, Mark Selby, clawed back with a break of 87 in the sixth frame, he again lost the seventh, as his opponent racked up a his highest match-break of 77 in it.
There was a shock on the cards before the 2007 runner-up, Selby, managed to register him in the last frame, as he mopped up a frame-winning break of 74 to stay in the hunt at 5-3.
It was not the best performance from Ding Junhui but he efficiently capitalised on a series of errors from his opponent. Both players will start off with their second session today at the home of snooker. Let’s see if Selby is able to overcome
his opponents lead or Ding is going to hold his nerves and clinch the frame.
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