So then, let's remind ourselves of what happened in the International final:
Ding Junhui Vs Marco Fu
The best-of-19 final started with Ding Junhui potting a decent long red, before missing a tough cut back on the black. A missed long red from Ding left Fu in, but he could only make 18 before missing a red to the yellow pocket which then travelled over the green pocket to leave an easy starter for the Chinaman. He’d made 32 before he missed a mid-range red that wasn’t easy, nor was it overly difficult though. A decent mid-range red from Fu got him back in with a nice opportunity to take the opening frame. He’d built up a 15 point advantage though before getting the wrong angle on the black to split the last 2 reds, but he played an average safety and Ding was able to knock in a good long red before missing a tough black to the middle. Ding knocked in a brilliant long cut on the final red, to give him a fairly good chance to win the first frame. He missed the brown though, trying to nudge the blue from the cushion, leaving him 9 behind with 22 on. Fu doubled the brown in after about 10 minutes of safety on the last 4 colours, but then he missed the blue completely making his lead 8 with 18 on. Ding potted the blue but missed a really tough pink along the rail and left it in the jaws for Marco to clinch a marathon opening frame. Marco was in first again in the second frame with a decent early chance to at least build a good lead. The break had got to 46 when Fu had to split the reds from the blue, and he did so perfectly to give him a golden opportunity to double his lead. That was exactly what he did with a wonderful break of 128 giving us the first century of the final, and making it 2-0 to Fu. Marco Fu made a horrible error at the start of the third frame, hitting the black instead of catching the reds, and leaving Ding right in amongst them for his first great chance of the match. Ding had an unlucky split on 18 and took on a tough red to the green pocket, but Fu missed a long red of his own, leaving it in the jaws for Ding to get back in and make a heavy contribution. A heavy contribution he made indeed pulling the score back to 1-2 with a fabulous run of 108. Marco had the first proper chance of the fourth frame, but could only make 21 before missing a long blue to the corner, and leaving reds on for Ding Junhui, but the Chinaman could only make 8 before having to head up the table for safety. Fu knocked in a good long red to give him a golden opening to win the frame and take a 2 frame lead going into the interval of the first session, and he did just that with a good break of 37 doing enough for the man from Hong Kong to make it 3-1.
Ding had the first real chance after the interval after a
missed pot from Marco. Ding picked off the reds nicely before splitting the
remaining reds as a break of 92 reduced the gap to 2-3. Ding was first in, in
the sixth frame after a poor safety shot from Fu, having been left in a tricky
position by Ding. With all the reds already open, Ding picked them off nicely,
and he was soon past the winning post in the frame levelling the scores at 3-3
thanks to his second century, a magical 138. After Marco potted a red early in
the seventh and failed to get on the black over the corner Marco tried to hit
it off of the top cushion, but somehow failed to pot it. This left Ding in with
another good scoring chance, and continuing the mean form he’d shown all week
in Chengdu, he made it count again, making it consecutive centuries with a
break of 127 to complete the turn around and lead 4-3. Ding Junhui continued
this fine burst of form since the break, getting in first again in the eighth
frame after a poor safety from Marco. A good early split of the reds, almost
had the writing on the wall straight away for Fu in this frame, as Ding had
another golden scoring opportunity. He was quickly passed the winning post for
the frame, and the break kept on going as he knocked in his third consecutive
century, a 126 this time as he made it 5-3 and ensured he would be leading at
the start of the second session. Fu needed to hit back in frame nine, and he
was first in after Ding Junhui missed a long pot to leave Fu down in the
business end of the table. Having opened the reds though, Marco then missed a
mid-range red on 36. After a fairly long safety battle, Fu was back in again
with a nice long cut, and a further 39 left Ding Junhui needing snookers which
he didn’t get meaning it was 5-4 to Ding Junhui over Fu after the first
session.
The second session started off with Ding Junhui getting in
first after an attempted long red from Fu. A good recovery red to the middle
early on kept his break going, and a good split from the blue which was off of
its spot gave him a good chance to win the frame, especially after another good
recovery red after the split. A further good recovery after going into the reds
a second time to the middle left the remaining reds there for the taking. The
Chinaman soon sealed the frame and went on to make his fifth century of the
match as a 108 kept up the relentless standard that Ding was producing, as he
went two in front at 6-4. Marco Fu had the first real chance of frame eleven
after a scrappy start to the frame, and Ding Junhui not getting out of a
snooker how he would have liked to give him the chance. However he had a
shocker on 18, when he chipped over the intended red with the rest after a
miscue, which left Ding Junhui in a chance of his own, but he missed a blue to
the corner on 1 to hand the advantage back to Marco. He broke down on 7 though
with a 20 point lead and 5 reds left on the table. A loose safety from Fu gave
Ding the chance at a long red, but by missing it he left a golden opportunity
for Fu to clinch the frame. The man from Hong Kong did enough to leave Ding
needing 2 snookers on the final red. Ding got the first of those snookers, and
with the balls nicely placed for snookers this marathon frame wasn’t over yet.
When Ding handed a foul back though that was pretty much frame over as Ding was
then snookered again, and the Chinaman conceded as Fu closed the gap to a single
frame again at 6-5. Fu was in first again in the twelfth frame with a good long
red, landing him nicely on the black, with a nice early opening to score. Once
he’d got to 24 with 3 reds and blacks, the reds were nicely split and he had a
golden chance to win the frame, but also to make a maximum break. A great
recovery red with the rest put him on to 73 and past the post in the frame, and
he was soon onto 80 with 10 reds and 10 blacks and a maximum break firmly in
his sights. Once he’d got to 105 he needed to play the cannon on the last red
to free it from the pink, and he played it perfectly… only to miss the 14th
black. However it was a wonderful 105 that levelled the final up at 6-6. Marco
Fu had the first real chance of the thirteenth frame as well with the reds
nicely spread. He took the golden opportunity he was presented with, with a
brilliant break of 71 to lead 7-6 at the last mid-session interval.
Ding Junhui had the first chance after the interval,
knocking in a decent long red from a ball-in-hand situation. Ding made a nice
little 65 to lead by 73 with 75 on, after missing a tough red along the bottom
cushion. Fu soon let Ding back in again after a poor safety shot, and Ding
potted the red he needed to clinch the frame, adding 22 to level the scores
once more at 7-7. Ding had the first chance of frame fifteen, splitting the
reds from the brown, but with the break only on 5 after that split Ding was
really unlucky not to be on an easy red, and he missed an incredibly tough red
to the middle, gifting a frame winning opportunity to Marco Fu. He could only
make 20 though, as he couldn’t get on one having played a cannon to the reds.
It was Ding that made the next mistake though, missing a risky long red, and Fu
potted a decent red to the middle to give him a chance to edge in front again.
He took that chance as well, making a break of 81 to seal the frame and move
8-7 ahead needing two more frames to be crowned International Champion. Ding
gave himself a good early chance in the sixteenth frame after making an
unbelievable cut into the bottom right corner. The chance soon turned into a
golden opportunity with a nice split on the reds from the blue and then a great
red to the middle to keep the break going. The break broke down on 30 though
after Ding failed to get nicely on a red having come in and out of baulk from
the blue, and then played a rash rest shot, which he didn’t get close to. Ding
was gifted another chance though, and he needed to make this one count with all
the reds he needed there for the taking. A further break of 30 was enough for
the Chinaman to level the game again at 8-8. A vicious miss cue from Marco
early in the seventeenth frame gave Ding a free ball and an early chance. He could only a make 8 though as the man
going for 3 successive full ranking event titles ran out of position after a
good recovery red with safety in mind. Ding was soon back in again after a
missed mid-range red from Fu. He missed a black on 4 though when he left
himself in a situation with very hampered cueing. Marco got his chance shortly
afterwards knocking in a superb long red, but with the state of the table, it
was hardly a clear cut opportunity. Once the black was on its spot though, it
turned into a much better chance to take the frame. However, with a 21 point
lead on a break of 37 he ran out of position after a bad kick on the black.
Ding put a red over the corner early in the safety battle though, which gave Fu
another chance, but he couldn’t get on a colour from it and had to play safe.
Ding knocked in a terrific long red, and he got on the brown, but couldn’t get
as close to the next red as he liked after catching the blue on the side
cushion. He still potted the red though, but still had loads of work to do if
he was going to win the frame at this visit. The Chinaman reduced his deficit
to 3 points when he had to play safe with 2 reds left on the table. Fu was next
in with a great pot down the side cushion, and he potted the last 2 reds with
blacks before missing the yellow giving Marco a 19 point lead with the colours
left. Ding then knocked in a great cut on the yellow to get brilliantly on the
green, only to miss it, before the Australian Open champion potted the green
and brown to leave Ding needing 2 snookers on the blue. Ding got the first
snooker, but Fu eventually doubled in the blue to go 9-8 ahead and a single
frame from winning the title.
Marco Fu had an early chance in frame eighteen with a well
cut red to the right corner. When he screwed in off when potting the pink on 4
he squandered a good early opportunity to win the match. Ding then potted a
nice mid-range red to give him a nice opening to try and force a decider. A
brilliant break of 58 under pressure from Ding was almost as good any of his 5
centuries in the match, as Ding Junhui forced the final frame decider in the
International Championship Final. Ding Junhui was in first in the deciding
frame with a good pot, following a poor shot from Marco Fu landing into the
reds from a snooker. He potted a good mid-range black, but couldn’t get on the
next red and the break ended on 8. Ding got the next chance as well though
after another poor safety from Fu left a red over the corner. The reds were
soon lining up for Ding, as it soon turned into a brilliant opening for Ding
Junhui to take frame and match. He couldn’t finish with a century but a
brilliant break of 91 sealed the International Championship title and 3 ranking
events in a row, with a magnificent and closely fought 10-9 victory, in an
absolutely classic match where Ding had 5 centuries and 2 90 odd breaks and Fu
had 2 centuries of his own.
What a truly superb match that was, with loads of big breaks and plenty of tension in match that was close throughout and it was truly fitting that such a classic match marked Ding Junhui winning 3 full ranking events in a row, and of making my top 5 on the classic matches countdown. Who'll just miss out on the top 3 on the list? Be sure to come back tomorrow and find out.
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