Ding Junhui was fluent in his victory over Scotland’s Alan McManus. Leading 14-10 after the third session, a period in the match where McManus had fought back in magnificent style after going 3-9 behind, Ding won three of the four frames contested to ease through to the final by the relatively comfortable scoreline of 17-12.
The first two frames of the final session were fairly scrappy affairs. Ding won the first frame 69 points to 26, and McManus won the second on the pink ball 60 points to 44. Ding then compiled a good break of 123 and clinched the next 67-8 to close out the match.
The match set a new snooker record in that 10 century breaks were recorded, which is the most ever made in a single match. McManus contributed three, and Ding seven. In making seven centuries Ding equaled the record of the most number of centuries made by a single player in a match. The other player to have achieved this feat was seven time former world champion Stephen Hendry. Hendry’s effort was in the 1994 United Kingdom championship final, where he beat Ken Doherty 10-5. Hendry’s effort perhaps remains more special, as the match was a best of 19 (rather than a best of 33) and Hendry achieved his seven centuries after playing just 13 frames.
Ding’s seven centuries were: 138, 131, 128, 123, 113, 100 (twice). Ding’s break of 133, made in the twentieth frame, could have been a 147 maximum break had the Chinese player not surprisingly missed the black ball after potting the last red.
Ding’s performance was, nonetheless, remarkable and probably the best of the championship to date. Ding becomes the first player from Asia to reach a world championship final.
In the other semi-final, things were more dour. Mark Selby and Marco Fu were placed at 12-12 overnight. Selby converted this into a 17-15 victory, but only after the frames had been shared and the match reached 15 frames apiece.
The match was punctuated by superb potting and break building by very long tactical exchanges. As an indication of the fine potting, the final session saw Fu make breaks of 73, 8 and 100; and Selby made a break of 101. However, the players had the unenviable distinction of being involved in the longest frame of snooker seen in the world championship – a frame of 76 minutes and 11 seconds. This was the 24th frame, which Selby won 73 points to 43.
Overall Selby was more consistent, although Fu had not been helped by his cue tip falling off in the fifteenth frame. Normally when a player changes a tip this will be done so between matches, allowing the player time to ‘play in’ the tip. The new tip accounted for Fu’s slightly more sluggish start to the third session.
The two day final is now set to commence. As to who will win, Ding is in better form but a lot can change over a best of 35-frame (first to 18) match.
