The World Snooker Masters trophy is pictured ahead of the quarterfinal match between Luca Brecel of Belgium and Ding Junhui of China at Snooker Masters 2019 at the Alexandra Palace in London, Britain on Jan. 17, 2018. Ding won 6-5. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)
LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Ding Junhui scored a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Luca Brecel of Belgium to set up a semifinal showdown with seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Masters snooker tournament here on Thursday.
World number eight Ding, who had never led the match in the first nine frames, made an excellent match-winning break in the deciding frame to settle an enthralling contest which never had more than one frame between the two competitors.
Ding reached the last four for the first time since he won it in 2011 when the tournament was held in Wembley Arnea. He will take on O'Sullivan on Saturday afternoon in a repeat of the 2007 final, which the Englishman won 10-3.
The first six frames tonight were shared, with Ding making breaks of 125 and 64 while Brecel knocked in 63, 74 and 87. World number 14 Brecel, who was aiming to reach the semifinals of a Triple Crown event for the first time, took frame seven in two scoring visits before Ding responded with a 105 for 4-4.
In the ninth, Ding trailed 35-0 when he was faced with a tough safety, and tried to come off the side cushion to rest against a red on the top cushion. He could have hit the ball directly, so when he failed to make contact three times in a row, referee Greg Coniglio had to award the frame to Brecel.
"I know that if I failed to touch the red ball after three attempts, I could lose the frame directly. But I did not do like that, I could have given him a chance. I don't want to take that risk," he said after the match.
Ding won the tenth with runs of 32 and 57 for 5-5 and went on to clinch the tie after Brecel, leading 23-6, missed a straight-forward red to a centre pocket.
"I believe in myself to do well in deciders. I've won most of them in the last couple of seasons. In a decider, it's about who wants to win it, and I believed that I could win the game. Luca had a brilliant chance to win it, but he missed the red in the middle pocket which was unbelievable," Ding noted.
On the upcoming semifinal against O'Sullivan Ding conceded that "Ronnie is the best player in the world. I have always been looking forward to playing him, especially in a big tournament like the Masters."
