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DING Junhui strolled into the quarter finals of the Grand Prix in Glasgow with a 5-1 thumping of Stephen Maguire.
Ding looked composed and confident throughout - and apart from the odd careless miss gave a solid display of potting while Maguire was left to sit in his seat and watch his challenge wrecked in front of his home fans.
It was Ding who answered the bell first, taking the first frame after Maguire's rash safety had opened the balls for him to make an 80 break. Maguire kept clean away from the table clearly had no time to get into his rhythm against the Chinese player who silence. The times he did venture to the table he was invariably carving out chances for Ding because of errant safety.
No more evident was that than in frame 2 when Maguire left in baulk caught his safety too thick and although the cue ball swung away back down the table it left Ding a straight red to the corner. Cruising round the table Ding made 38 before missing a straightforward black off its spot. Maguire could not take advantage as the cue ball trundled away to safety and it was only seconds later that Ding was back at the table after a bungled safety from Maguire left Ding with another chance that the Chinese player failed to capitalise on. Maguire's attempt to force his way back into the frame that he was trailing 0-59 in was to falter on 13 when he missed an easy red, leaving Ding to apply the finishing touches by potting the red and blue he needed to put the frame beyond doubt.
Maguire's night was fast becoming a nightmare that he was forced to watch unfold before his very eyes as Ding thundered in a long red and made 57 before being forced to run away to the baulk cushion and safety. It was enough to force another error from the Scotsman who left him able to get his hand on the table with a long straight red and the Ding was back at the table for a 52 clearance.
Maguire was forced to sit and suffer after getting in with a long red he made 39 beofre a howler of a miss of an easy red to the corner. As a safety battle unfolded the balls were left scattered across one side of the top half of the table and Maguire was left to try and keep the cue ball safe. The Scotsman mansged to find the baulk cushion with his safety - but Ding had also managed to pick out a plant. It was risky and audacious but Ding lined it up and the red flew into the top corner pocket. Talk about kicking your man when he is down Maguire knew exactly what was coming next with the balls in pottable positions and so it proved as Ding cleared up with 74 as he cleared up to the final blue. Ding was one frame away from victory against a man he had never beaten in six previous attempts.
Maguire avoided the embarrassment of a whitewash in front of his home fans when he powered in a long red on the resumption and went on to make 93 before a bad kick on the black robbed him of a chance of mounting a challenge for the high break prize- held jointly by Shaun Murphy and John Higgins with 135.
But that fleeting few minutes of Maguire was to be all the Glaswegian fans would have to cheer as Stephen missed an easy black off it's spot to leave Ding in amongst the balls, but in trying to roll the black in deadweight he broke down on 17. Maguire though failed to capitalise on his reprieve and allowed Ding in after another rash attempt at safety. The look on Maguire's face told the story of his night as Ding calmly rolled in a break of 67 to wrap up the match and set up a quarter final meeting with Peter Ebdon
Elsewhere Robert Milkins continued his run with a easy 5-1 victory over Romford's Mark King.
King who had battled back from the brink of defeat to edge past Ricky Walden in the previous round found the Gloucester man to be in solid form throughout. And it was Milkins who captured the first frame with King maybe suffering from nerves.
Mark needed to find his potting rhythm quickly as Milkins safety was more likely to cause him trouble than Ricky Walden's. He got in first in the second frame courtesy of a long red and made 29 before having to play safe. Milkins though countered with 37. Mark badly needed some help and he got it when Robert left an easy red off a bad safety by Mark contrived to miss from short range. Breathing a huge sigh of relief King potted an easy red to the corner and put together a break of 33 to clinch the frame.
Milkins a very fluid breakbuilder grabbed the initiative in the third frame with a long red and made 41 only to run out of position and run away to safety. King forced his way back into the frame to level the points scaored as we came to the colours that would decide who was going to lead 2-1. Milkins constructed a evil snooker on Mark as he left the yellow hidden behind the blue - with the green helpfully getting in the way of King's natural escape route. To Mark's credit he conjured up an escape at the second time of asking and got the cue ball back to baulk. But there was still a bit of the yellow sticking out and Milkins pounced as he hammered in the yellow and cleared up to and including the pink to move ahead.
Mark's frustration was evident to see and when your opponant is busy chancing his arm and getting away with it with lucky flukes it can become too much. Just as Mark who had to watch Milkins take a swipe at an ambitious red- see it jaw in the corner pocket and then shoot across the top cushion into the other bag. Even more galling was the snooker that Mark found himself in- trapped behind the yellow.
Unsurprisingly King failed to escape and it was Milkins who benefitted - firing in a 75 break just to rub salt in the wound. King needed three snookers and he wasn't to get them as he failed with a long pink - but did with his hand take a swipe at the balls as he conceded the frame.
And how Milkins capitalised on Mark's mood as he put together a 33 opening break before having to play safe. A second chance wasn't long in coming as Mark lined up a long green and missed it- worse still the cue ball rolled away into mid table giving Robert an easy opening with a red to the corner and this time Robert converted on his chance as he made 57 to put him one frame from victory.
Minutes later it was all over as Milkins forced a mistake from Mark in a safety battle and dropped in a long red into the top corner pocket but in trying to force a red into the top pocket fell on 26. The balls were in perfect position for Mark and the Essex man made a breakof 60 before jawing a red. Milkins with a a glorious chance to pinch the frame dispatched the final two reds and left with the colours completed a clearance of 40 to take his place in the quarter finals against Mark Williams while in the other quarter finals Joe Perry meets Neil Robertson and the defending champion John Higgins plays Mark Allen.
Suzy Jardine
Ding looked composed and confident throughout - and apart from the odd careless miss gave a solid display of potting while Maguire was left to sit in his seat and watch his challenge wrecked in front of his home fans.
It was Ding who answered the bell first, taking the first frame after Maguire's rash safety had opened the balls for him to make an 80 break. Maguire kept clean away from the table clearly had no time to get into his rhythm against the Chinese player who silence. The times he did venture to the table he was invariably carving out chances for Ding because of errant safety.
No more evident was that than in frame 2 when Maguire left in baulk caught his safety too thick and although the cue ball swung away back down the table it left Ding a straight red to the corner. Cruising round the table Ding made 38 before missing a straightforward black off its spot. Maguire could not take advantage as the cue ball trundled away to safety and it was only seconds later that Ding was back at the table after a bungled safety from Maguire left Ding with another chance that the Chinese player failed to capitalise on. Maguire's attempt to force his way back into the frame that he was trailing 0-59 in was to falter on 13 when he missed an easy red, leaving Ding to apply the finishing touches by potting the red and blue he needed to put the frame beyond doubt.
Maguire's night was fast becoming a nightmare that he was forced to watch unfold before his very eyes as Ding thundered in a long red and made 57 before being forced to run away to the baulk cushion and safety. It was enough to force another error from the Scotsman who left him able to get his hand on the table with a long straight red and the Ding was back at the table for a 52 clearance.
Maguire was forced to sit and suffer after getting in with a long red he made 39 beofre a howler of a miss of an easy red to the corner. As a safety battle unfolded the balls were left scattered across one side of the top half of the table and Maguire was left to try and keep the cue ball safe. The Scotsman mansged to find the baulk cushion with his safety - but Ding had also managed to pick out a plant. It was risky and audacious but Ding lined it up and the red flew into the top corner pocket. Talk about kicking your man when he is down Maguire knew exactly what was coming next with the balls in pottable positions and so it proved as Ding cleared up with 74 as he cleared up to the final blue. Ding was one frame away from victory against a man he had never beaten in six previous attempts.
Maguire avoided the embarrassment of a whitewash in front of his home fans when he powered in a long red on the resumption and went on to make 93 before a bad kick on the black robbed him of a chance of mounting a challenge for the high break prize- held jointly by Shaun Murphy and John Higgins with 135.
But that fleeting few minutes of Maguire was to be all the Glaswegian fans would have to cheer as Stephen missed an easy black off it's spot to leave Ding in amongst the balls, but in trying to roll the black in deadweight he broke down on 17. Maguire though failed to capitalise on his reprieve and allowed Ding in after another rash attempt at safety. The look on Maguire's face told the story of his night as Ding calmly rolled in a break of 67 to wrap up the match and set up a quarter final meeting with Peter Ebdon
Elsewhere Robert Milkins continued his run with a easy 5-1 victory over Romford's Mark King.
King who had battled back from the brink of defeat to edge past Ricky Walden in the previous round found the Gloucester man to be in solid form throughout. And it was Milkins who captured the first frame with King maybe suffering from nerves.
Mark needed to find his potting rhythm quickly as Milkins safety was more likely to cause him trouble than Ricky Walden's. He got in first in the second frame courtesy of a long red and made 29 before having to play safe. Milkins though countered with 37. Mark badly needed some help and he got it when Robert left an easy red off a bad safety by Mark contrived to miss from short range. Breathing a huge sigh of relief King potted an easy red to the corner and put together a break of 33 to clinch the frame.
Milkins a very fluid breakbuilder grabbed the initiative in the third frame with a long red and made 41 only to run out of position and run away to safety. King forced his way back into the frame to level the points scaored as we came to the colours that would decide who was going to lead 2-1. Milkins constructed a evil snooker on Mark as he left the yellow hidden behind the blue - with the green helpfully getting in the way of King's natural escape route. To Mark's credit he conjured up an escape at the second time of asking and got the cue ball back to baulk. But there was still a bit of the yellow sticking out and Milkins pounced as he hammered in the yellow and cleared up to and including the pink to move ahead.
Mark's frustration was evident to see and when your opponant is busy chancing his arm and getting away with it with lucky flukes it can become too much. Just as Mark who had to watch Milkins take a swipe at an ambitious red- see it jaw in the corner pocket and then shoot across the top cushion into the other bag. Even more galling was the snooker that Mark found himself in- trapped behind the yellow.
Unsurprisingly King failed to escape and it was Milkins who benefitted - firing in a 75 break just to rub salt in the wound. King needed three snookers and he wasn't to get them as he failed with a long pink - but did with his hand take a swipe at the balls as he conceded the frame.
And how Milkins capitalised on Mark's mood as he put together a 33 opening break before having to play safe. A second chance wasn't long in coming as Mark lined up a long green and missed it- worse still the cue ball rolled away into mid table giving Robert an easy opening with a red to the corner and this time Robert converted on his chance as he made 57 to put him one frame from victory.
Minutes later it was all over as Milkins forced a mistake from Mark in a safety battle and dropped in a long red into the top corner pocket but in trying to force a red into the top pocket fell on 26. The balls were in perfect position for Mark and the Essex man made a breakof 60 before jawing a red. Milkins with a a glorious chance to pinch the frame dispatched the final two reds and left with the colours completed a clearance of 40 to take his place in the quarter finals against Mark Williams while in the other quarter finals Joe Perry meets Neil Robertson and the defending champion John Higgins plays Mark Allen.
Suzy Jardine
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