Ding Junhui beat David Gilbert 10-5 to set up a heavyweight all-Chinese battle with Zhao Xintong at the 2026 World Snooker Championship on Monday.
The second-round clash in Sheffield between the current Chinese number one and the all-time great from the country promises much.
Ding hadn’t won a single match in 2026 before heading to the World Championship to make his 20th appearance at the Crucible Theatre.
But it has been reported that the 39 year-old has been putting in long hours on the practice table in an effort to sharpen up his game, and it showed.
The 2016 runner-up produced his best performance of the entire season to comprehensively beat Gilbert, who it has to be said did suffer from a poor run of the balls at times.
Ding, though, scored heavily when given his opportunities – making a brace of century breaks and adding several other frame-winning contributions.
Now all eyes turn to a mouthwatering clash with top seed Zhao Xintong that will surely attract a massive audience back in China.
For two decades, Ding had been the primary flag bearer for Chinese snooker and the one who people expected would bring global success to the country.
The former world number one has tallied 15 ranking titles in total in addition to picking up the prestigious Masters trophy in 2011, but the sport’s main prize has always eluded his grasp.
Instead, it was Zhao who stormed his way back from suspension to lift the World Championship trophy from the very first round of the qualifiers a year ago.
The world number four has entered this tournament in red hot form following a hat-trick of victories on the Players Series, and many regard him as the overall favourite again.
He wasn’t anywhere near his best in his opening-round fixture with Liam Highfield but still managed a three-ton display in winning 10-7.
“Whoever I play next will be a very tough game for me,” Zhao said afterwards. “If I play Ding, then there will be a lot of attention on our match.”
That is probably an understatement with viewers in their tens of millions expected to tune in when the match takes place across three sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Stan Moody, meanwhile, made a brilliant start to his maiden Crucible match, pulling clear to orchestrate a 6-3 lead over Kyren Wilson at the end of their opening session.
Moody, who is the first British teenager to qualify since Judd Trump in 2007, lived up to the hype by contributing two century breaks.
The 19 year-old will attempt to complete the job against the world number two and the 2024 champion when the pair resume for their second session on Monday evening.
John Higgins and Ali Carter also play to a conclusion on Monday afternoon, with more details on the draw and schedule available by clicking here.
Featured photo credit: WST
