Ding Junhui emerged with his first ranking title since 2019 after securing a 10-7 triumph over Chris Wakelin in the International Championship final on Sunday.
The 37 year-old was the favourite heading into the title-deciding contest but trailed 4-1 after a slow start in Nanjing.
However, Ding fought back in strong fashion by winning the last four frames of the first session – including a pivotal eighth frame on the black – to establish a 5-4 lead.
The Chinese star duly took the first two frames of the evening session to extend his buffer to three frames as he hunted down a 15th career ranking crown.
Wakelin, who struggled during the middle period of the match, regained his composure to stop the rot and win the last two frames before the mid-session interval.
But Ding, to the delight of his adoring fans, won three out of the remaining four frames to pocket the £175,000 prize.
It’s the former world number one’s first trophy at this level since the 2019 UK Championship, having missed out in three finals over the last two-year period.
Victory for Ding also sees him earn the last spot in next week’s Champion of Champions draw, where he’ll face Judd Trump in a blockbuster first-round clash.
“I’ve been feeling great all week,” a delighted Ding Junhui told the World Snooker Tour after the final concluded.
“I played so well in every match. Chris put me under a lot of pressure, especially at 4-1 up. I had a chance at the start but put too much pressure on myself.”
“I tried to release it, but I couldn’t get it out. So 4-1 up, it was a perfect start for him. I don’t know what happened after, he started to keep missing.
“The key frames were the eighth frame and the ninth frame, so I took a 5-4 lead. It totally changed the match, because I think those two frames were so important.
“It’s a long time since I’ve felt like that – five years. I almost forgot. It’s great to see the crowd in China, live in the stadium being like this.
“It’s the first time that my kids see me lift the trophy. I hope I can do more and win more championships, maybe the kids will start to love snooker.”
Defeat will be disappointing for Wakelin, but the Englishman is continuing his remarkable upward trajectory over the last couple of years.
Maligned by many as not a proper ranking event, victory at the 2023 Snooker Shoot Out injected Wakelin with a dose of confidence that has only grown since.
The 32 year-old followed it up with an appearance in last season’s Northern Ireland Open final, and his overall consistency since has seen him rocket up the rankings.
In fact, by reaching the International Championship final, Wakelin has broken into the top 16 of the official two-year list for the first time in his career.
It guarantees his involvement as a seed at the upcoming UK Championship, while a maiden appearance at the Masters could potentially be on the cards as well.
Those are two tournaments that Ding Junhui has won in the past, and it’ll be intriguing to see whether this glory can inspire him to even more in the coming months.
Many will believe that he is back where he belongs, challenging for the most lucrative prizes at the very top of the sport and lifting trophies aloft.
Featured photo credit: WST
The Shootout shouldn’t be ranked but winning a title of any description can be a confidence boost.
A 25th career title for Ding. He’s won 7 of his 15 ranking titles in China.