DING JUNHUI: PROFILE

In the second installment of the "Player Profile" feature here in the blog (which, forgive me, comes nearly a year after the first one about Yan Bingtao), we come from a young Chinese prospect to the greatest Chinese snooker player ever: Ding Junhui.

MILESTONES:

April 1st, 1987 - Born in China.

2002 - Aged 15, becomes the youngest ever World Under-21 Champion.

2003 - Turns professional.

2005 - Aged 18, beats Stephen Hendry in the final of the China Open, his maiden Ranking Title. Watched by 110 million people, it was then the largest ever TV audience for a snooker match.

2005 - Becomes the first Chinese player to win a Triple Crown event, beating Steve Davis to win the UK Championship.

2007 - Becomes the first Chinese player to reach the Masters' Final. On his way, he also becomes the first Chinese player to make a Maximum 147 break.

2007 - Makes Crucible and Top 16 debut.

2009 - Beats John Higgins in the final to win the UK Championship for a second time.

2011 - Adds another trophy to his Triple Crown collection, by winning the Masters.

2011 - Becomes the first Chinese player to make the semifinals of the World Championship.

2011 - Wins the World Cup for China, alongside Liang Wenbo.

2014 - Equals Stephen Hendry's record of five Ranking Titles in a single season.

2014 - Becomes World number 1.

2016 - Makes sixth career Maximum 147 break, but falls off from the Top 16 in the World Ranking.

2016 - Coming through qualification, becomes the first Chinese player to make a World Championship final, where he eventually lost to Mark Selby.

2017 - Beats Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Crucible for the first time, but loses to Mark Selby again, in the semifinal of the World Championship.

2017 - Wins the World Cup for China, alongside Liang Wenbo, again.

2019 - Wins a third UK Championship, his fourth Triple Crown title and 14th Ranking Event (all records for a Chinese player).

2021 - Falls out of the top 16.

2022 - Falls out of the top 32, aged 35.

WHAT IS TO COME

What he won on the table and what he means to snooker and the sport's growth in China, makes Ding Junhui the undisputed greatest player to ever come out of China. However, in the last few years Ding has not only fell out of the Top 16 again, but has seen a surge of Chinese players that surpassed him in the Rankings. In fact, he's only the fifth best ranked player in the World, as of August 2022.

I have no doubt that Ding still hates to lose, I could see if for myself in Sheffield this year after he lost to Kyren Wilson in the Crucible's first round, but whether he's still giving his snooker career what it takes to be amongst the elite I don't think so.

He's still good enough, yes, and only less than three years ago I'd be sure his time of winning a world title would come eventually, but right now it's not clear if he's willing to get to that level again. 

He's now linked to snooker not only as a player, but as owner of a great academy in Sheffield and helping out Asian players that move to the UK for the main tour. His influence is the main responsible for this new Chinese generation storming into the scene, and I'm sure he's happy for it, but does the presence of players like Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao (both practicing at Ding's competitor snooker academy in Sheffield, "Victoria's Snooker") amongst the World's leading players, when Ding himself isn't amongst them, bother him at all?

I've said before that I wouldn't blame Ding Junhui if, having been an elite performance professional for so many years, he wants to slow down in order to give more to other things in life. But, if his winning days aren't finished yet, he's got to turn that around - and who wouldn't love to see it! 

Having now fallen out of the top 32, these next couple seasons will be crucial I think as to whether Ding will make an early retirement from the main tour or indeed turn things around, but he's got to play first - ranked low now, he's not in position to keep skipping tournaments the same way players like O'Sullivan, Robertson and Higgins do, that way draws are bound to get harder the same way his confidence is bound to get weaker.

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