Ding Takes 5-3 Lead Over Allen
Ding Junhui came from 2-0 and 3-2 down to establish a 5-3 advantage over Mark Allen at the end of the opening session of their Duelbits Tour Championship first round clash in Hull.
This is a crucial match for Ding, as defeat would end his hopes of being a top 16 seed for the Cazoo World Championship. And the Chinese ace has risen to the challenge so far, recovering from a slow start to give himself a handy two-frame cushion going into tonight’s conclusion. They resume at 7pm with first to ten frames to go through to the semi-finals.
Top seed Allen, who has three titles under his belt already this season, took the opening frame by clearing from the last red, then compiled a break of 72 for 2-0. Back came Ding with a break of 116 and he added frame four for 2-2.
After the interval, Allen regained the lead with a run of 52, but he failed to pot a ball in the next two frames as Ding’s runs of 51, 67 and 92 edged him 4-3 ahead. The last frame of the session came down to a safety battle with two reds left, and Ding outfoxed his opponent then took his opportunity to double his lead.