Boost for Ding as O'Sullivan stunned in Beijing

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Home favourite Ding Junhui will face Mark Joyce instead of Ronnie O'Sullivan after the five-time World Champion's shock second-round exit at the China Open on Wednesday.

 

World number 51 Joyce held his nerve in an exciting finish to knock five-time World Champion O'Sullivan out of the last tournament before he heads to the Crucible. O'Sullivan has not won a ranking title in 13 months, though he did lift the Masters trophy in January.

In the last 16 on Thursday, Walsall's 33-year-old Joyce will face home favourite Ding Junhui, who thumped Zhou Yuelong 5-0.

Joyce had leads of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 and each time O'Sullivan fought back to level. It was a high quality contest with Joyce compiling breaks of 79, 66 and 137 while world number 13 O'Sullivan made 106, 132 and 63. The deciding frame was a nervy one as both players missed chances. Joyce failed on a red to a top corner when he trailed 26-29, but O'Sullivan then missed a tough red to the same pocket. A further 31 from Joyce proved enough for victory.

Ding made a sensational start against fellow Chinese cueman Zhou, scoring 384 points without reply. Breaks of 109, 127 and 82 put him 3-0 ahead. Zhou managed 27 points in frame four but there was to be no fightback as Ding recovered to win that frame and sealed the result in the next with a 54.

World number one Mark Selby beat Martin O'Donnell 5-1 with a top break of 101 and now faces Andrew Higginson.

Ricky Walden's hopes of regaining a top 16 spot ahead of the Betfred World Championship seeding cut off ended as he lost 5-4 to Higginson. Walden led 4-1 but Higginson hit back with a top break of 105 and eventually won the decider on the final black.

Stephen Maguire kept his top 16 hopes alive – though he needs to win the tournament to secure an automatic Crucible berth. He beat Li Hang 5-3 with runs of 114, 87, 80, 71 and 100.

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