Masters in Cue Ball Control | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Ding Junhui | 2023 Six-Red L16

Ding Junhui gets this much-anticipated last-16 encounter at the Six Reds World Championship in Thailand underway against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Last time they played in the UK Championship this season, Ding won 6-0. Once again, it is best of 11. The break-off shot is very important. He's not left anything here. As you say, it's certainly an integral part of these matches, or a significant early part. Surely this is not hard enough to anything, is it? This is woefully short of pace. So already, Ding Junhui with a chance, but it should be another interesting match. I mean, we've had Ronnie O'Sullivan and James Watanabe. A lot of mutual respect between this pairing. Yeah, Ronnie's first time in the tournament. Ding, though, has pedigree. Twice finalist, he won the event in 2016. He actually beat Stuart Bingham 8-7 on the last black. First time O'Sullivan had been whitewashed in one of the Triple Crown events. And he'd been on the wrong end of a few against O'Sullivan. The record of Mark Davis. Matt Selt made 80 with free ball. Only 75 on, but the free ball makes it. There's 83 on potentially. On to the black, then you feel that it'll be first blood, Ding Junhui. Well played. He didn't, a little hesitant on the shot, but he's always been a very good middle pocket player. So the break off was, I think, lucky. Just the way that he got a little nudge. And Ding is two pots away from securing the first frame. We didn't see any frames like this in our first match today. But an impressive start from Ding. The chance came and he's taken it. And he would have played a lot of six red snooker, not just in this event, but in China, it's quite popular as well. Ding is seventh on the one year ranking list. Of course, no ranking points here. Ronnie O'Sullivan would have to win WST Classic next week to be in the tour championship. Eight man event. First things first, he's made a great start here. Superb break this has been. I mean, it really has been extremely fluent. Hasn't put a foot wrong this frame. Clearance of 70 from his very first chance. That's how you start a match. Ding Junhui leads 1-0. And that's not a good shot. Needs help here. Bit of cover. It's a big shot this. Could lead to Ding possibly going 2-0 up. It could be end of frame the other way. Didn't quite work out that way though, did it? Well, I guess at least the risk of the red over the pocket has been removed. A little bit nervy there from Ding. I think we all know that in those 1-2-8 events in the home nations, he hasn't always been absolutely flat out. He's not been trying to lose them clearly. He's been trying to win them. But he hasn't been as focused as some of the other events. That's classic next week. He's in. Whether he plays in it, I don't know. We'll see. Has been known to drop out of events at the last minute. So we'll have to keep an eye on that. But I think he needs match practice. So if nothing else, that would be every reason to play in it. Don't really know what he played on there. Can't play to roll behind your nominated colour. So that was the reason he played the snooker in that way. Three reds and he's hit the black. Very difficult angle to find. But he didn't get all that close to finding it. So Sullivan dodged a couple of bullets in this frame. He has left a couple of chances. But now he's in. Started his first two matches really well. He'd never played six reds before. But first two matches he was in control of early on. Nine. Certainly an advantage of Sullivan here. The objective is to get out of this snooker and leave it safe. Little swerve onto the cushion. The in-offs possible here into the green pocket. He just about avoided that. But not sure if that red will cut back in. Perhaps not from there. I'd be more than happy with that outcome. I think pre-pandemic, sometimes the constant travel, some players it wore them down. But then they realised how much they actually missed it when it was taken away from them. The blue is the only safe ball on the table. So he hasn't got this frame in the bag yet. Yeah, I think that the players found it all a little bit gruelling at times. But like you say, they would miss all the action now. I think a lot of players missed the Australian event as well. I heard Rob Milken say that. I'm not sure quite why that completely disappeared. But it's a great shame it did. It's true, isn't it? Quite a few events have been in various parts of the world and not been back. I feel there could be a twist in the tale of this frame. It looks like O'Sullivan's going to be eventually winning it. But I just feel that maybe there's a thing. Possibly one more chance comes his way. He didn't try anything particularly adventurous there. I think he's worried about the double kiss on any sort of up and down safety shot he plays. That was the concern. Well, if the double kiss is on, it's on, I'm afraid. And however much you try and pretend it isn't, there's nothing you can do about it. No, it didn't cost him. If he'd have got an angle on the blue there, he was in business. But however well he played in the first frame, he's not backed it up in this frame. It's a bit of a test for O'Sullivan. Not really knocked anything in today at long range. Here's his chance to do so. Well, that's much better. That'll make him feel like he's in the match, I think, putting that. So this black effectively for the frame. Yeah, great red. And we've already seen in this frame, really focusing on this event. He's been talking it up for several weeks actually coming in. And there's no doubt, and I know that Ronnie does have his critics, but there's no doubt that when he's in the tournament, he brings a level of excitement that other players can't to the event. There'll be many people here hoping he can progress to the quarterfinals later on. He's won this frame. It was a great putt on the last red. Of course, he was already in front, so just needed the black as well. It's one each. Remember, best of 11, best of 11. Yeah, it'll just go. It's tight, though. It's one of those where you can easily crash into the ball, as we saw. Well, he might be tempted by a choice of two long reds here. Not bad. Not a bad kiss. Keeble will be heading away from the red somewhat in putting the black. It's well held. If he is in that tour championship, it could be big for Ding because, of course, success in that, he'd be in the top 16 for the World Championship without having to go through qualifying. So this tournament can't affect that because there's no ranking points available. Nice cannon there. Beautifully played. But, of course, that U.K. Championship was such a high points tariff because of the prize money. U.K. Championship is a tournament he really does play well in, having won it three times. So this looks a little bit like the first frame. Ding getting the chance and taking the chance. I think one of his logos just fell off there. But, anyway, he's not come unstuck at the table. Yeah, so just the black now, and that'll be the frame. Of course, no one has really spoken about Ding being world champion this year. For about a decade, it's almost what everyone was speaking about. I guess if you can get to the U.K. final and be a long way in front against Mark Allen, then he could end up world champion, I suppose, although he maybe had better chances before previous finalists. But I guess we'll have to see. There's the logo. Yeah, the red didn't drop. So 39 in it, 35 on. He thought that was in, I think. Well, I don't think he'll continue if he doesn't pot his colour here, O'Sullivan, because this basically means it's three snookers or more. I suppose the fact that he's got a snooker is the reason he is carrying on. Well, many times before now, he would have conceded rather than play on for these snookers, but he's in the mood to really dig in this week. Three snookers needed. That's three snookers that are not escaped from, of course. Meanwhile, the yellow's going in anyway, cross-double. And he's plum on the green, so his dings frame for sure. Six reds. He's particularly popular in Asia. He played a lot of it in China, I'm sure. But regardless of what form of snooker it is, playing Ronnie O'Sullivan on the main table, it's always a challenge. I guess the good memories, though, of that UK win have got to be there because he did play really well that day, Ding, and kept on. That's what he's hoping to do again today. And he's back in front at 2-1. O'Sullivan yet to really fire in this match, you've got to say, and Ding is taking advantage. Certainly not an easy opening red, this one, to the point where he didn't even play it. Surprised by that. I'm sure that area down on the left side is fairly safe on that red anyway, although he's not hit it quite as hard as he would have liked to. Yeah, O'Sullivan just tapping the table in appreciation there of the ding safety. Well, the ding safety did actually force a chance, but it wasn't easy, he hasn't taken it, and he's left an easier one for O'Sullivan. Yeah, I mean, I think he probably feels he could have pressed on in this match if he'd won the first frame and not really done a great deal in the second. He hasn't looked as focused or as... Well, not focused is not the right word. He is trying very hard, but he's just a little bit out of sorts. That's a nice cannon, though. That's beautifully played. And he could play to screw onto the other red here, because it's just a question of what he needs. Well, he did play the cannon there, and he moved it very fractionally, but not enough to do any real damage. They may have another little go at moving the red. That's a delightful shot. That is a beautiful cannon, really is. And that is where he's always been so good, but this is played so well. He played it with a trace of left-hand side, so he got in behind the blue. It's beauty, that one. But he will still need a little bit more of the other red, because he's taken fairly lower-value colours. He will need to pot this red, but no colour necessarily has to follow. Look where he's finished on it. Well, this is more like it from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Brown stays out. So two snookers required. Looked like O'Sullivan's frame anyway. This yellow is going to just rubber stamp it. Played some nice stuff in this frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan. Has Ding had enough? He has. He stays in his seat. So O'Sullivan has levelled up. No joy there, trying to hit the thin red. I always felt it was going to head over in that direction. It never stopped rolling. Well, he's faced with a big shot here. Look where the balls are. Goodness, if he takes this on, he's going to have to get it. I know the cue ball might head back to bulk, but you wouldn't be trusting on not leaving something up. So this probably has to drop, this red. He's missed a couple of these sort of shots at range. So the chance came anyway. Even though Dean did get the cue ball back down the table, the red followed it. I think he played, actually, to miss the black and get on the red that's to the right of the black spot. He wanted to free the black spot. Yeah, and also, eight points behind when he came to the table. He had to need all the reds. Well, exactly. I think you have to, you know, completely play to the scoreboard, but he had to get his sort of teeth into the frame first. The red by the pink would be the one he would be slightly worried about, I think. I'm not entirely sure if that pots directly or it will need to be moved. Well, I know he was unsure about that one, but this is crunch time, this shot. We'll find out whether the red goes, but he may have to just move it here. And that's what he's tried to do. He tried to hit the red full. He just clipped the pink, which has left him a shot, but, you know, one that has still got to be knocked in. Well, this is good stuff now. It's two good frames in a row from O'Sullivan. Crowd finding their voice as well. Ooh, and then he misses that. Ah, that's incredible, really. Well, that was the one, wasn't it? I suppose he had to play up onto the yellow, but that adds pressure to the pot. Well, that would have put him 30 in front, 27 on. It's a nice shot, that is. It really is. I know he's not quite behind it, but this feels an important point in the match, albeit with lots of frames left, because the black that O'Sullivan missed was not difficult, let's be honest. No, the miss came just as it looked like O'Sullivan had really clicked in this match. He won the last frame impressively, but now the clearance is on, and this will be a big moment for Ding, a big body blow to land. Well, if he's straight, it gives him no options of getting close, and he is straight, I think. Dead straight, he's going to have to leave the cue ball somewhere where the pink is now, and have to pot a good black, which, of course, he's very capable of doing, but he didn't want to be finishing there. This is a very awkward shot now. O'Sullivan missed a much easier black than this for the frame. I'm quite surprised. I mean, I really am. OK, straight on the pink, but not to play, to pot the black directly. I have to say, I'm a little bit surprised that he would choose that shot instead. Well, you can't beat a black ball battle, which is what this fifth frame has become. Both might feel, you know, they should have won it. The up and down. Priority just getting the black safe, so that was a decent shot from Ding Xunwei. Side to side. I feel that black ball fights like this have changed completely in the last decade or so, maybe even longer, where you'd always see players putting distance between the balls, the up and down shot. Now it's put one ball on the left cushion and one on the right cushion, like this. You know, so it's changed everything about the way that these black ball fights are played. You think about the 85 World Final, that battle on the last black. None of these sort of shots were on. It was very nervy, obviously. But there were no sort of absolute containing shots played. That's where things have changed. How about that? I think he played it. Ding Xunwei doubles the black. It was the black, of course, earlier off the last red that Ronny O'Sullivan missed. That would have effectively won him the frame. But in it goes, and ding, lands a bit of a body blow. 3-2. You put together two good frames, but just didn't quite close it out. It's hard to... It certainly wasn't a criticism of the shots being played, but the shots have changed, I think, on the black now. But that 85 final, you know, one pot at the end of 17 days, one ball left. I mean, when you think about it, no wonder it was as nervy as it is. It just gets no bigger. I mean, Steve Davis is one of the great players we've ever seen. He was completely gone, wasn't he? Anyway, that was a terrific shot from O'Sullivan. A three-ball plant, and a little flick on the yellow. Not quite how we'd like it. Yeah, that's the frustrating thing here. He's got the plant, but it hasn't finished great. Yeah, I mean, not that well played, but his priority was always to cover the right red. The black gets a little bit congested. Got to be careful not to hit the two reds on the left of the table here. That's a good shot, and it's freed the black. But four reds relatively safe, unusually. That one thought about it. So he's played a three-ball plant, and he's also played like a cross-double there. Certainly brought about a chance to get this frame one. He's just about hanging on in this match. O'Sullivan. He's done well already, you know, to make anything from this chance. So he needs red, black, red. It would be a pretty impressive way of winning the frame. So many safe balls when he came to the table. And now, screwing behind the red and put it left-handed down the cushion, I think. It's a similar scenario to the last frame. He had the black, which was frame ball. This red now is frame ball to this pocket. He can just get to it right-handed. Oh, wow. That's... Wow, that is an amazing thing. Just as you were saying it, it feels like it's going the same way. If he'd have just bounced it off the cushion, I think playing it left-handed would have been better. He finished somewhere he could play it with his right hand. But it's a tricky little shot, that one. Yeah, the pockets, they're not generous. You know, it may have dropped on another table, but not on this one. So Ding has another chance to steal a frame. He's always had very good cue ball control, Ding Chunhui. You could hardly see how he could have played that better. That's a beautiful shot. Yeah, just a little bit of pressure on now because Ding may have had a chance to open up a couple of frame lead earlier in the match, but now he's got another one. Obviously, taking the cue around the table, he's overhitting that one by quite a way. Now, has he gone a little too far again? Because sometimes when he has to hit balls at pace, Ding, he does lose his shape a little bit on the shot. Very nervy, wasn't it? But he played it quite well. But this is also very tough. Yes, this black for a 4-2 lead could have been easier. Every credit. Great clearance. Ronnie O'Sullivan again just failed to kill the frame off. That's two frames in a row where he's missed the crucial ball. And both times, Ding has ultimately won the frame, this time with a clearance. Well, that double kiss was... He couldn't have really known that was going to happen because if he had wobbled the red, it wouldn't have happened. But he's given Ding another chance. Could be about to go 5-2 down here. And he could not have tried any harder. That's the thing. He's really been making an effort, but the match is just slipping away a little bit. Yes, big colours needed with the two reds. Well, firstly, he's got to get up nicely on the red. Yes, he's just made this a bit more difficult than it could have been. Quite a good shot, wasn't it? I don't know whether he can reach across and play this red. Or will he try and get the safer red out into play? Oh, goodness. Well, whatever the options were, that was not one of them. Yeah, just lost his way a couple of shots ago. Now, a little cut back here. As you can see, it's not a simple shot. He's playing into a blind pocket. Played it well. I wonder whether he can get to the red. He can't roll up behind the brown. This would be a time when you'd love to have that option. Oh, I thought he was going to do it for a second. But no, he hasn't forgotten. The shot he has played, in fairness, is very good because he's put the brown onto the side. It's not gone safe, but this is not easy to hit now. The referee needs to get into a position where he can see which one has been hit first. No problem. Well, he didn't want it in, did he? Because he would have needed a colour. We couldn't quite see it with Ronnie. Understandably, he was standing in front of it. As you say, bottom line is he didn't want it in. The result is he's put Dingy in all kinds of trouble with a very favourable table. Well, that is a sensational shot. That really is magnificent because he didn't play a natural angle. He sort of stunned it into the cushion. I can honestly say that is one of the best escapes I've seen out of a snooker for a while. It was only one cushion, but he changed the angle. That was a marvellous shot from Ding. Ronnie O'Sullivan has tried really hard in this match, but he's getting a little joy. Hello. Ding looking good now then for a place in the quarterfinals. Just one frame required. He leads Ronnie O'Sullivan by five frames to two. One from victory. Yes, I just sensed earlier that Ronnie was struggling a little bit, not playing quite as well in this match as in the qualifying games. He hasn't lost yet, but I thought that shot on the last red, the escape from the snooker, was just brilliant. People will think, well, why was it so good, one cushion? He just stunned it, changed the angle because it wasn't a natural, and had it not gone in, then I think O'Sullivan would have cleared. So that really was a great shot for me. Well, another one missed, and I'm not sure he's left anything very easy for Ding to just get this match over with. To get this match won, he's almost got to do it as quickly as possible before any momentum is built. At the moment, he's got O'Sullivan where he wants him, and he's got to just put this match away. A bit like he did in the UK Championship, let's be honest. I mean, it was a bigger event, but it was a highly impressive way that he dispatched him 6-0. He thought about the blue, didn't he, putting it, but I'm not sure he feels quite confident enough to play this shot. That's a beautiful shot, in fact, that he has played. Yeah, and if he gets another chance here, it's going to be a good one where the balls are. They're all potable. Wow, that is unbelievable. I mean, he didn't know really how he was going to leave it safe, but just a glance of the red, and wow. Still could be, though. We know that he can rattle frames off very quickly. Well, this time he's left a red, but again, plenty of distance between the two balls here. I just had a feeling about that one. I mean, it looked easy, but it wasn't, actually. Not when you're not playing all that well, and a few things have gone against the player. Now, with the opportunity to get the frame one here, I'm going to say it again. He's someone that no one has spoken about being World Champion, and while he's very in and out with his form, been in a World Final, maybe 35 years of age, maybe he's still got the World Championship in him somewhere. He only wants the red, so this match looks to be over, but it's going to be another win over the Rocket. Well, yeah, he's also helped, though, by O'Sullivan missing two frame balls, a black and a red, so it's all been part of the mix in this match. O'Sullivan came here looking forward to playing in the six reds for the first time. He's really tried hard. He's done all the ambassadorial stuff as well, but he's not going to play any further part in it on the table unless he comes back for snookers, which he's not doing. So it is Ding Junhui who downs the Rocket here in Thailand. Another win for Ding over Ronnie O'Sullivan. They've loved seeing him, of course they have, but he's not in the quarterfinals. It's China's Ding Junhui who progresses a winner by six frames to two. Stuart Bingham next for him. We'll be right back.