Ding Junhui recorded a good 5-2 victory over Neil Robertson, ending the Aussies hopes of a 3rd successive ranking event win in China. The home favourite continued from where he left off against Murphy in the last 16, taking the opener with breaks of 58 and 62. Robertson hit back immediately though with a break of 70 to level up at 1-1. Ding took the next frame to go back in front, before a Robertson special of 104 squared the game once more at 2-2. Ding dominated the fifth frame to give him the advantage once more, before a break of 75 doubled his lead to 2, 1 away from victory at 4-2. As always, Ding showed his intent by finishing in style, with yet another century, a 109, saw that the Chinaman booked his last 4 spot with the highest break of the match. Ding will certainly be hard to stop this week.
He'll now play Barry Hawkins who beat Mark Selby 5-4, after coming from 4-2 down to win. Mark Selby dominated the early exchanges in the match, and made some fairly big breaks in establishing a big lead. After losing the opener, breaks of 101, 83 and 74 saw that Selby took a 3-1 advantage into the mid-session break, with things looking good for the "Jester". Hawkins dominated the next to reduce the deficit to 3-2, only for a break of 68 in the next giving Selby back his 2 frame cushion. The fight back began for Hawkins in the next as he dominated proceedings in the seventh to make the score 4-3. A 140 break, the highest of the week so far, in the eighth ensured that the match went into a decider. It took 2 or 3 chances for him in the decider, but it was Barry Hawkins that got home 5-4. He will certainly cause Ding problems tomorrow and won't be making it an easy ride.
Michael Holt reached his first ever ranking event semi-final with a 5-1 over Kyren Wilson, who was playing in his first venue. In the end I think it was a bit of experience that counted, as Wilson really struggled to get into the match. Holt made Wilson pay for his mistakes, with breaks of 85, 64 and an 80 to win the match in style. I would be really pleased to see him win it this week.
He will play Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals, after the Chinaman came from 4-2 down against in form Mark Davis to win 5-4. Davis started the match, in the same way he'd been playing all tournament, breaks of 63, 71 and 87 giving him an early 3-1 interval lead. A break of 67 gave Guodong the next to close to 3-2, before Davis won a highly tactical sixth frame to re-establish his 2 frame advantage. A break of 61 prolonged the match into an eighth frame, which Guodong dominated the key parts of to force a final frame shoot-out for a spot in the last 4. In the end Xiao took that spot with the help of a pressured 61 to give him a 5-4 victory.
Semi-Final Draw and Predictions:
Michael Holt Vs Xiao Guodong - Both players are in their first ever ranking event semi-finals, which should make this a very tense affair, the closer the game gets towards the end. I would really like to see Holt win this week, as he is one of the better players never to win a ranking event. I think that experience could again play a part here, and with Holt being the elder of the 2 players, this could make a difference when the game gets nervy towards the end.Prediction: Holt to reach the final with a tight win.
Ding Junhui Vs Barry Hawkins - On paper, and the way the week has gone for these 2 so far, you would expect Ding to win this one and he looks like he really means business this week. However, Barry Hawkins has never been one to go by the form book, as he showed at the 2013 World Championships, where he beat Ding Junhui on the way to the final. I do expect it to be a very close match, but I make Ding the slight favourite the way he has looked so far this week.
Prediction: A close match but a home final for Ding Junhui.
It should be a very good climax to the event, and one I look forward to watching right through to the conclusion on Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow looking ahead to the final.
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