World number 13 Ding Junhui made light work of 37th-ranked Stuart Pettman in the first round of the Snooker World Championships at The Crucible in Sheffield on Wednesday.
Ding Junhui of China plays a shot during his World Championship Snooker match against Stuart Pettman of England at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Wednesday, April 21, 2010. [Photo: Sina.com.cm]
By CRI Sports reporter Paul Ryding
World number 13 Ding Junhui made light work of 37th-ranked Stuart Pettman in the first round of the Snooker World Championships at The Crucible in Sheffield on Wednesday.
The two-time UK Championship winner overran Pettman 10-1, but admitted he will face a much sterner test in a probable second round meeting with last year’s runner-up Englishman Shaun Murphy who currently holds an 8-1 lead in his first round encounter.
Ding said, “It will be very hard in the second round. He [Murphy] has beaten me many times so he’ll have a lot of confidence if he plays me.”
The 22-year-old’s form has been good going into this year’s championship. He defeated Mark Selby and Peter Ebdon on the way to the final of the China Open in Beijing last month and was only narrowly beaten by Welshman Mark Williams in the final.
He is currently one of the favorites to win in Sheffield and would become the first non-British player to win the tournament for 30 years if he were to be victorious at The Crucible.
