Very Very Important Win for Ding

[daoc2006]

Hi,

Before this Championship started I was hoping and praying for a Ding vs Hendry second round, and well, what a match is on here.

Both players will be really spurred on by there final frame deciders but I feel Ding will have a bit to much firepower, I reckon 13-8 or 13-9 to Ding but its tough for me.

These 2 are my favourite players and I dont want to see either go out yet.

Very important for both players regarding ranking.

Has Hendry ever beaten Ding in a ranking event or at the Masters though?

One thing is for sure, Hendrys long potting must be up to scratch otherwise. Ding has the potential to blast him off the table though, because I dont think he really fears Hendry like he does with Ronnie, Im sure Ding knows hes getting a bit older now and his game is not always sharp for 3 sessions.

Im going with Ding 13-8 or 13-9 to win.

[Anastasia]

Yes Hendry was beat Ding in ranking events but I dont know who exactly is .
I think this win is more important for Hendry and hope he win because he is my favourite .
And actually I dont like Ding .

[volunteer]

And actually I dont like Ding .

I think Ding is ok. He seems a bit shy and introvertred (met him once during an exhibition), but for me this is not a reason to not like him.

And I agree with daoc2006: Very important wins for both players (Ding and Hendry) and a very exciting match to come up. Ding has all the talent in the world and will draw a lot of confidence from the win against Fu. I'd also put my money on him.

[Monique]

I also think it's a very important win for Ding, even more so because it was such a close match and he won it in the decider. Remember: in China he lost to Murphy, also in a decider. These two recent matches show that Ding has matured a lot and is now coming over the doubts, and maybe the demotivation, that following the Masters 2007 trashing.
I really admired Hendry's fighting spirit on Monday, but honestly I think he will face a very tough challenge when playing Ding. I'd tip Ding to win this match.

[adamxx]

I've got nothing against Ding, when he's got the confidence he's a great potter of the ball but he can crack so easily under pressure and from what i've seen, he seems to give up easily. (Referring back to the Ronnie vs Ding final in the Masters when he was losing badly and appeared to have stopped caring).

I think if Hendry has any of the will power that he did in the Allen match, he's got a great chance.

[Rane]

He looked more relaxed than I have seen him for a long time. In the last frame he had to leave the table two times after a bad run of the balls and still he kept his composure.

[cueman]

People would be questioning Ding as a player had he lost yesterday, that is why the result was so big for him. I don't think he has handled the pressure well since bursting on the scene a few years back and winning the UK title. Since his defeats to O'Sullivan in the Masters and WC last year he has looked a shadow of himself and just needed a win to boost his confidence.

Hendry is a good opponent for him as he'll get chances. I think he could go all the way, he certainly has the game, he just needs to cut out the bad shot choices that he sometimes takes. Higgins or O'Sullivan would punish him if he makes the mistakes he did yesterday.

[spike]

this is a signifcant win for Ding! I feel now he can go on from strength to strength and overcome Hendry in the second round, but will still have to play better than he did against Fu last evening if he wishes to capture the title! He is still prone to missing easy balls when least expected and for me his tempermant is still questionable at times, but like i say it's a good win for him.

overall his break building was impressive and his long game is in good shape, and to beat an in form Fu must give him tremondous confidence for the rest of the tournament.

[dannyd0g]

A great result for Ding. Coming through a tough match like that should boost his confidence.

I think the main worry is still his temprament. At one stage when Fu had levelled it looked like Ding was on the verge of mentally giving up, like he did agaisnt Ronnie in the first round last year.

Fortunately though this time he got through that, and hopefully he will continue to do so.

[Marc]

I think everyone is going to be suprised and we will see the best of stephen hendry in the next round. I think that win against Allen is a very big confidence boost for him and he will come out on friday a lot more relaxed and play at his very best. I can see him beating ding quite comfortably

[Anastasia]

I think Ding is ok. He seems a bit shy and introvertred (met him once during an exhibition), but for me this is not a reason to not like him.

And I agree with daoc2006: Very important wins for both players (Ding and Hendry) and a very exciting match to come up. Ding has all the talent in the world and will draw a lot of confidence from the win against Fu. I'd also put my money on him.

Yes Ding is ok just I dont like him but he is very promising young player with great future maybe .
The match will be very exciting and important I'm absolutely agree .

[attilahun]

Ding showed in the match against Fu that he learnd to cope with the pressure and he seems mentaly stronger than a few months ago.
Imo if Ding plays as he showed he can he will not have problems beating Hendry...if not, anything is possible.
I too fancy Ding to win this one...

[poolqjunkie]

I was actually pulling for Marco Fu to win. But I am happy for Ding. It must be a great booster for his confidence. I would imagine he has lots of expectation from China and they will probably give him a hard time if he loses the first round.
Ding will give Hendry a hard time, would love to watch this match.

[domp]

Can someone tell me why the Chinese/Oriental players never seem to be enjoying themselves when they're playing? They all look really miserable... Why play the game if you don't enjoy it? Or is it they just hide their feelings?

[Semih_Sayginer]

...Or is it they just hide their feelings?

IMO it is just that.