by Tom Pritchard
CHINESE player Ding Junhui came back from two frames down to see off Joe Perry and advance to the fourth round of the Welsh Open at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.
Breaks of 84 and 127 put the ‘Gentleman’ 2-0 ahead in double quick time, but Junhui, ranked eighth in the world, fought back to win the four remaining frames.
Reflecting on the victory, the 31-year-old said: “It was a great win, I started 2-0 down and it was a strong comeback.
“The third frame was a key one to bring it back to 2-1, and then after that I started playing better.”
The Welsh Open is a tournament that has been to the current Chinese number one. After winning the tournament back in 2012, and then hitting a maximum break of 147 in the 2016 event, the former world number two is looking to go on another run in the 2019 edition.
The tournament was held at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff for the first time in 2015, and Junhui is a big fan of the venue.
“I’m enjoying this event here in Cardiff, and I have some very good memories of this tournament. I’ve won it and made a maximum here,” he said.
A potential opponent in the next round is Welshman Jak Jones, a player that Ding has faced before: “I’ve played Jak a couple of times, but I’m not too sure, I think it’s better to focus on myself.”
“I’m not thinking too much about my opponents, I’m thinking a lot about myself. It’s important to keep your thinking right and not make many mistakes.”
Ding will face Joe O’Connor in the next round, after the Englishman saw off Jak Jones 4-1.
(Featured image: Martin Rulsch)
